Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
Galatasaray powered past Norway’s Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League, Wednesday to extend their home unbeaten run to 30 matches and finally break a 13-year spell without back-to-back wins in Europe’s elite competition.
The Turkish champions, fueled by Victor Osimhen’s first-half brace and Yunus Akgün’s calm second-half finish, moved to six points from three matches, firmly keeping their knockout ambitions alive in the revamped 36-team league phase.
Ferocious start
Galatasaray wasted no time sinking their claws into the contest.
Just three minutes in, Mario Lemina pounced on a loose ball in midfield and fed Osimhen, who held off a defender and fired low into the bottom corner.
The Nigerian’s finish brought RAMS Park to its feet and set the tempo for a night of relentless pressure.
The Lions’ high-pressing structure – perfected over months – suffocated the Norwegians, who came to Istanbul unbeaten in the group phase but looked rattled from the opening whistle.
In the 33rd minute, Galatasaray doubled their advantage with a goal born from that same aggression.
Yunus Akgün pressed left-back Fredrik Andre Bjorkan into a poor back pass, which Osimhen intercepted like a predator sensing blood.
The forward rounded goalkeeper Nikita Haikin and slotted home to make it 2-0, his seventh goal in European competition this season.
By halftime, Galatasaray had outshot their visitors 8-2 and dictated possession.
Osimhen leads, Yunus delivers
If the first half belonged to Osimhen’s finishing, the second was a showcase of collective power.
The 26-year-old Nigerian didn’t just score – he orchestrated.
In the 60th minute, he stole the ball high up the field, danced past his marker and teed up Akgün, who swept home the third goal with composure beyond his years.
It was the perfect moment for the 24-year-old academy graduate, whose resurgence under Buruk has turned him into a reliable wide threat.
His combination of energy and tactical intelligence perfectly complements Osimhen’s physical dominance and Barış Alper Yılmaz up front.
Though Bodo’s Andreas Helmersen reduced the deficit in the 76th minute with a close-range header, the Norwegian champions never truly threatened a comeback.
Galatasaray’s backline – anchored by Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Davinson Sanchez – stayed calm under pressure, while goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır’s late saves preserved the two-goal cushion.
Setback to revival
Few could have predicted such a turnaround after Galatasaray’s bruising 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League opener last month.
That night exposed defensive frailties and left questions hanging over Buruk’s system.
But since then, the response has been emphatic: a 1-0 victory over Liverpool that electrified Istanbul, followed by this commanding display against Bodo.
The Lions now sit in 11th place in the 36-team league phase – well above the qualification line – with a crucial away match at Ajax on Nov. 5.
Win there and Galatasaray could all but guarantee their progression to the knockout stage, something they haven’t achieved since 2013.
Catalyst of change
Osimhen’s arrival from Napoli last summer has transformed Galatasaray’s attacking identity.
Once overly reliant on wingers, the team now revolves around the Nigerian’s ferocity and precision.
He has scored in every European match this season, extending his continental streak to seven games and becoming the fastest Galatasaray player to reach nine European goals in a single campaign.
His presence has rekindled the spirit of former Lions legends like Didier Drogba and Burak Yılmaz, figures whose goals once lit up European nights in Istanbul.
Osimhen’s performance drew chants of “Aslan Victor!” from the terraces long after the final whistle, a fitting tribute to a man who has already become a fan favorite.
Buruk’s philosophy
Coach Okan Buruk deserves as much credit as his players.
Since taking charge in 2022, he has redefined Galatasaray’s DNA – combining traditional Turkish flair with modern tactical discipline.
His side thrives on pressing triggers and quick vertical transitions.
All three goals against Bodo originated from regaining possession high up the pitch, a hallmark of Buruk’s system. Galatasaray have now scored 15 goals from turnovers this season – the highest among Turkish clubs.
Fortress of fire
The numbers underline what every opponent already knows – playing Galatasaray in Istanbul is a nightmare.
With this victory, the Lions’ home unbeaten streak reached 30 matches across all competitions.
In Europe alone, they haven’t lost at home in 18 games, dating back to February 2022.
The stadium, drenched in red smoke and roaring chants, has become a living monument to the club’s resilience.
Each goal, each tackle, feels amplified by the deafening energy of the stands.
13-year curse
Wednesday’s triumph carried a deeper emotional resonance – Galatasaray’s first back-to-back wins in the Champions League since the 2012-13 season.
That campaign, under Fatih Terim, ended in a quarterfinal run that defined a generation.
For Buruk and his men, this felt like destiny rewritten – the moment the Lions reclaimed their European roar.
