Super Eagles and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has expressed disappointment following his team’s 3-3 home draw against Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League on Tuesday night.
The Turkish Super Lig champions squandered a two-goal lead at Rams Park, leaving their hopes of securing a knockout round spot uncertain until the final group game.
Osimhen retained his place in Galatasaray’s starting lineup, with fans expecting a routine victory for the hosts.
Galatasaray started strong, racing to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Davinson Sánchez and Abdulkerim Bardakcı. However, a lapse in concentration allowed Dynamo Kiev to pull one back just before halftime.
Osimhen extended Galatasaray’s lead in the second half, converting from close range to make it 3-1. But the home side’s defensive frailties were exposed, as Andriy Yarmolenko scored twice in the final quarter of the game to secure a dramatic comeback for the visitors.
The result was a bitter pill for Galatasaray, who missed several opportunities to put the game to bed. Osimhen himself was guilty of squandering four big chances.
Reflecting on the game, the Nigerian striker admitted the team fell short. “We are disappointed. We thought we deserved more. We need to take responsibility as a team.
I think we all made mistakes. They also fought well and scored goals,” Osimhen told the club’s official website.
He added, “There were two consecutive draws. Now we need to work and learn from our mistakes. We need to focus on the upcoming matches.
We need to understand each other better at certain moments. If I’m going strong, I look at who I can pass to and who I can receive the pass from.
We could have scored more goals today. We need to learn from our mistakes and be better.”
The draw leaves Galatasaray’s Europa League fate hanging in the balance. The Turkish side will now need to secure a positive result in their final group-stage match against Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena next week to confirm their place in the knockout rounds.
