Victor Osimhen has set a new UEFA Champions League (UCL) record following his stunning display of talent in Galatasaray’s 3-0 thrashing of Ajax on Wednesday night.
Osimhen netted a hat-trick as the Turkish Champions inflicted a fourth consecutive defeat on Ajax in this season’s Champions League, leaving the Dutch side languishing at the bottom of their group.
The Nigerian striker opened the scoring in the 59th minute, before converting two penalties to take his European tally to six goals this term. With this remarkable feat, Osimhen has now scored 25 goals in European competitions, surpassing former Inter Milan and Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins, to become Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in Europe.
Ajax entered the half-time break on equal footing, largely thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, who made crucial saves to deny Osimhen. However, the second half saw a turnaround as Osimhen capitalised on Leroy Sane’s cross to head in the opener.
Things worsened for Ajax when the referee awarded Galatasaray two penalties for handball offences, both confirmed through video assistant referee (VAR) reviews. Osimhen coolly converted the first penalty after the ball deflected off Youri Baas’ leg onto his arm. He then blasted the second spot-kick, awarded for a foul by Anton Gaaei, into the top-right corner, sealing a convincing 3-0 victory.
This latest defeat leaves Ajax at the bottom of their group, having suffered four losses in the Champions League with an aggregate score of 14-1. Meanwhile, Galatasaray’s win propels them into ninth place, bringing them closer to securing a spot in the top eight and advancing to the knockout stages.
