Victor Osimhen scores twice as Galatasaray held by newly promoted Corum
Victor Osimhen scored twice but warned Galatasaray they must improve after the Turkish champions were held to a 2-2 draw by newly promoted Corum in their opening Turkish Super Lig match of the season.
Galatasaray began their title defence at Rams Park aiming to win a fifth consecutive league championship, but were unable to overcome a Corum side appearing in the Turkish top flight for the first time in the club’s history.
The result was a major disappointment for the home team, who were clear favourites after dominating Turkish football in recent seasons. Corum, by contrast, had only just secured promotion to the top division.
Galatasaray controlled much of the possession during the first half and created a number of opportunities. Yunus Akgun appeared to have given the hosts the lead with a header, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The match opened up after the interval. Osimhen put Galatasaray ahead in the 52nd minute after chasing down a ball and beating the goalkeeper before finishing from a difficult angle.
The reigning champions were expected to build on that advantage, but Corum responded strongly. Alexandros Kyziridis scored the visitors’ first-ever Super Lig goal to bring them level.
Corum then completed a remarkable turnaround when Jesus Ramirez took advantage of a mistake by Davinson Sanchez to make it 2-1 only a few minutes later.
Their advantage was reduced when Kyziridis was sent off for a foul on Akgun, leaving Corum with 10 players and giving Galatasaray further encouragement in their search for an equaliser.
Osimhen restored parity late in the match by heading home to complete his brace. Galatasaray continued to push for a winner, but it was Corum who came closest to taking all three points in the closing stages.
Ugurcan Cakir produced an important save to prevent the visitors from securing what would have been a historic victory, with both sides eventually having to settle for a point.
Despite his two goals, Osimhen was unhappy with Galatasaray’s overall display and said the result should act as a warning to his team-mates.
The 27-year-old emphasised that there would be no easy matches in the league and called on Galatasaray to learn from the mistakes that allowed Corum to recover from falling behind.
Osimhen’s future has been a major subject of speculation during the summer, with several leading European clubs interested in signing the Nigeria forward.
Galatasaray have reportedly rejected a recent €130m offer from Al Hilal for Osimhen, while Premier League champions Arsenal have also resumed discussions over a potential move to bring him to England.
The striker did not completely dismiss the speculation, although he said his focus remained on his responsibilities at Galatasaray.
His long-term future is still uncertain, but scoring twice in the opening match of the campaign is likely to maintain interest from clubs considering a move for him this summer.
Galatasaray must now try to recover from the early setback and find greater consistency before their next league fixture. They will face another newly promoted team, Erzurumspor, at Kazim Karabekir Stadium next Friday as they look for their first victory of the campaign.
