Victor Osimhen’s hopes of winning the UEFA Europa League with Galatasaray were dashed as the Turkish giants crashed out of the competition following a 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of the playoff round.
The result saw Alkmaar progress to the Round of 16 with a commanding 6-3 aggregate victory.
Osimhen and his teammates faced an uphill battle after suffering a 4-1 defeat in the first leg.
The Super Eagles striker, who missed that encounter due to suspension, had vowed that Galatasaray would mount a comeback. However, their aspirations were quickly dampened as Alkmaar took control of the match in Istanbul.
The Dutch side opened the scoring just before halftime when Seiya Maikuma inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net.
Ten minutes into the second half, Denso Kasius doubled Alkmaar’s lead with a stunning long-range strike, making Galatasaray’s task even more daunting.
Osimhen sparked a glimmer of hope for the hosts by pulling a goal back in the 56th minute. Roland Sallai further fueled the comeback bid with an equalizer in the 70th minute, but Galatasaray still needed three more goals to force extra time.
Despite their relentless attacks, they found no way past Alkmaar’s resolute defense, sealing their elimination from the tournament.
Having netted five goals in the Europa League this season, Osimhen will now turn his focus to Galatasaray’s high-stakes ‘Intercontinental Derby’ against fierce city rivals Fenerbahçe on Monday.
Galatasaray currently sit six points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig after 23 games.
Meanwhile, AZ Alkmaar will face either Manchester United or Tottenham in the Europa League Round of 16, with the draw set to take place today (Friday) at 12:00 GMT.
