Victor Osimhen scored for the third game in a row as Galatasaray thrashed Konyaspor 4-0 away on Friday night to tighten their grip on top spot in the Turkish Super Lig, on a week the Nigeria striker also welcomed his second child.
Osimhen sets the tone in Konya
Galatasaray arrived in Konya still buzzing from Monday's Istanbul derby win, and they wasted no time. Osimhen had already seen an early effort pushed behind by goalkeeper Bahadir Gungordu when, on 12 minutes, he rose inside the area to head home Gabriel Sara's free-kick and put the visitors in front.
It was Osimhen's ninth league goal in eight appearances this season, and his third scoring game in succession — following both goals in the 2-1 derby defeat of Fenerbahce on Monday. Yunus Akgun doubled the lead on 28 minutes, collecting Aleksey Batrakov's pass and firing powerfully past Gungordu from outside the box, and Konyaspor — with Osimhen's Nigeria team-mate Chidozie Awaziem playing the full 90 minutes — reached half-time two down and chasing shadows.
The reports from Complete Sports and Bold Sports both underline how one-sided it was. Galatasaray kept coming after the break: Batrakov made it 3-0 on 49 minutes from another Sara assist, and Rafael Leao completed the scoring from the penalty spot on 55 minutes after a VAR review of Rayyan Baniya's challenge on him — Leao's first goal in a Galatasaray shirt. With the job done, Osimhen was withdrawn on 61 minutes to applause from the travelling support.
A goal for Liora Audrey
The goal carried a personal glow. Galatasaray had announced that Osimhen and his partner Stefanie had welcomed a daughter, Liora Audrey, and the striker marked the week the best way he knows how — by scoring, again.
That is now 10 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions this season for a forward whose move to Istanbul was supposed to be a step down in level. Instead, he is playing like a man determined to make the whole of Europe regret letting him go. Defenders in Turkey certainly have no answer: nine league goals, a derby brace, and a presence that bends entire back lines toward him and opens space for Akgun, Batrakov and Leao to exploit — exactly as happened in Konya.
On a Friday night when another African star, Achraf Hakimi, was producing a hat-trick for Paris Saint-Germain in France, Osimhen's opener was a reminder that the Super Lig's title race currently runs through one Nigerian.
So what?
The win lifts Galatasaray to 25 points from 10 matches, five clear at the top ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures, and back-to-back statement results — the derby, then a 4-0 away rout — give Okan Buruk's side real momentum. The spread of scorers matters too: when Akgun, Batrakov and Leao are all scoring alongside Osimhen, Galatasaray are no longer a one-man team, even if they remain a one-man headline.
For Konyaspor, stuck on eight points, a home defeat this heavy is a warning. Awaziem and his fellow defenders were overwhelmed from the first quarter of an hour, and the fixtures will not wait for them to regroup.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: this is what a title-winning striker looks like in full flow — a new baby at home, a derby brace on Monday, and a thumping header to open a 4-0 away win on Friday. Osimhen is not just Galatasaray's top scorer; he is the standard the rest of the Super Lig is being measured against, and right now nobody is close. Can anyone in Turkey stop him before the title race is over? Let us know in the comments.
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