Victor Osimhen delivered a stunning performance for Galatasaray on Wednesday night, scoring a hat-trick against Ajax in the UEFA Champions League to set multiple new records.
The match, played at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, ended 3-0 in favour of Galatasaray. Osimhen opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 59th minute before converting two penalties to complete his treble.
With his hat-trick, Osimhen became only the second Nigerian player to score three goals in a Champions League match, matching Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s 2002 feat for Maccabi Haifa. He is also the first Galatasaray player since Burak Yilmaz in 2012 to achieve a hat-trick in the competition.
Osimhen has now overtaken Obafemi Martins as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in European competitions, with 25 goals. He is also the first Galatasaray player to score a brace in two consecutive European matches and to win the club’s MVP award in three successive Champions League games.
Speaking after the match, Osimhen said the team is determined to compete among Europe’s elite. “We have a goal. We know what we want, and we know the level of performance needed in the Champions League. We’ll go step by step. We have the quality to challenge any team,” he said.
The 26-year-old striker is currently the top scorer in this season’s Champions League group stage with six goals, ahead of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe. He has scored in eight consecutive European matches for Galatasaray and now has 15 Champions League goals in total.
Osimhen is expected to maintain his fine form when Galatasaray face Kocaelispor in the Turkish Super League on Sunday.
Elsewhere in Europe, Manchester City continued their unbeaten run with a 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to two goals from Phil Foden and another from Erling Haaland. Inter Milan maintained their perfect start with a 2-1 win over Kairat Almaty, while Barcelona played out a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in Belgium.
Chelsea were held 2-2 by Qarabag, rescued by Alejandro Garnacho’s equaliser, while Newcastle United defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 to move up in their group standings. Bayer Leverkusen edged Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon, and Atalanta sealed a late 1-0 win over Marseille.
Osimhen’s brilliance remains one of the standout stories of this season’s Champions League, reaffirming his reputation as one of Europe’s most lethal forwards.
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