Osimhen tops the Champions League scoring chart

Maybe it’s too early to predict the final outcome, but the first signs are positive: Victor Osimhen is currently the leading scorer of the Champions League! This is the second time that an African player is at the top of the list, but it’s still just the fourth game of the season. Last year, Serhou Guirassy finished at the top of the league along with Raphinha (13 goals each) and Osimhen already has six after just four rounds, mainly due his fantastic display and a het-trick against European giants Ajax. The Dutch club has been in a crisis for a long time, but still, to come to Amsterdam and score three goals against them is not an every day routine. Osimhen’s treble makes him the first Nigerian player to net a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League since Yakubu Ayegbeni achieved the feat for Maccabi Haifa in a 3-0 win over Olympiacos in September 2002.

Galatasaray are probably the strongest team in European football outside the “top five leagues.” The standings confirm it, after all. Galata invested enormous money into this team, ‘moving mountains’ in June this year to sign Victor Osimhen as their key guarantee for Champions League success — and they were right. The Nigerian terrorized Bodo/Glimt in the previous round, and he knocked Ajax out with a second-half hat-trick. The Dutch were aware of the kind of opponent they were facing. They started a bit more cautiously in a 4-4-2 formation to adapt to their rival, showing how uncertain they were about themselves. Ajax used to never bow down even to Europe’s strongest sides. But this Ajax — this version — has little in common with the club’s glorious generations of the past. And we quickly saw why.

Within the first 15 minutes, Osimhen had two serious chances, both saved by Remko Pasveer. Ajax somehow held on until halftime, but then came the collapse. Victor Osimhen’s movement and sense of space are unbelievable. He perfectly anticipated Sane’s cross after an hour of play, slipped between the careless Sutalo and Pasveer, and headed the ball into the net… There’s simply no way the Nigerian doesn’t know how to score. With Osimhen in this kind of form,

Galata can dream of direct qualification for the round of 16. And not just because of him, but because of Okan Buruk’s entire team and their style of play. Taking the lead didn’t change Galata’s approach at all in the second half — they kept dominating and attacking. Just five minutes after the first goal, Galata got another clear chance for the second. The home defender, Bass, handled the ball in the box after a cross from the left, conceding a penalty. Osimhen was flawless. About ten minutes later, from the same spot, he was again perfect after Alders had handled the ball as well. After tearing Ajax’s net apart, he could step aside and make way for Mauro Icardi. We can only imagine the atmosphere awaiting Belgian side Union in Istanbul in the next round after three consecutive Galatasaray victories...