Osimhen absence cost Galatasaray against Sporting CP, claims Turkish Analyst
Turkish football analyst Sinan Engin believes Galatasaray could have secured a better result against Sporting CP if Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen had been available for their UEFA Champions League encounter.
Galatasaray suffered a 3–1 defeat to Sporting CP, with Osimhen watching from the sidelines after being ruled out with a groin injury sustained during the club’s 3–2 victory over İstanbul Başakşehir. 
Despite enjoying a greater share of possession, Galatasaray struggled to turn their control of the ball into meaningful attacking opportunities and eventually suffered another disappointing Champions League result.
Engin was particularly critical of Galatasaray’s performance, arguing that Sporting were not an unbeatable opponent and that the Turkish champions missed the attacking presence of their Nigerian talisman.
“Galatasaray had possession percentage but no results,” Engin said while speaking on the Asist Analiz YouTube channel.
The analyst went further, insisting that the presence of Osimhen could have significantly altered the outcome.
“If Galatasaray had been a little better, and Osimhen had been there, this match would have been very different,” he said. 
Osimhen has quickly established himself as one of Galatasaray’s most influential players since the beginning of the campaign, making his absence particularly noticeable in a match where the club needed a clinical attacking outlet.
The defeat also extended Galatasaray’s difficult run in the Champions League in matches without the Nigerian forward.
According to the report, the Turkish champions have now failed to win their last six Champions League matches in which Osimhen has been unavailable, recording defeats against Sporting CP, AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Saint-Gilloise, alongside draws against Malmö and Rigas Skola. 
For Galatasaray, Osimhen’s recovery has therefore become an immediate priority as they seek to revive their Champions League campaign.
The Nigerian forward will hope to make a swift return from the groin problem, with his availability potentially providing a major boost to the Super Lig champions’ attacking options.
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