Victor Osimhen is firmly in the race for the Europa League Golden Boot after netting a late goal for Galatasaray in their 2-1 defeat to Ajax in their final group stage match.
Osimhen, 26, has been in prolific form, scored his fifth goal in six Europa League appearances this season.
Despite his efforts, Galatasaray’s unbeaten run was halted by Ajax at the Johan Cruijff Arena, as the Turkish side suffered their first loss of the season.
Osimhen, fresh off a run of three consecutive goals, had several chances in the Ajax match, including a missed header early in the first half.
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However, it was in stoppage time that he showed his sharp striker’s instinct, converting a rebound to pull one back for Galatasaray.
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While Ajax took control with goals from Bertrand Traore and Kian Fritz-Jim, Osimhen’s strike was the highlight for the Turkish champions, who dominated the match with 26 shots but only managed to score once.
With 17 goals in 21 games this season, Osimhen continues to impress on multiple fronts, as he seeks to add the Europa League Golden Boot to his collection.
Currently, Olympiacos’ 31-year-old striker Ayoub El Kaabi leads the Europa League goal-scoring charts with 7 goals, followed by Barnabas Varga of Ferencvárosi with 6.
Osimhen is tied on 5 goals with Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund and his Galatasaray teammate Yunus Akgün as the race intensifies heading into the knockout rounds.
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Despite the defeat, Galatasaray progressed to the last 16 of the competition, with Osimhen’s goal tally helping keep their European ambitions alive.