It was a weekend of contrasting emotions for Super Eagles stars in Europe, as Victor Osimhen continued his blistering goal-scoring form for Galatasaray, while Ademola Lookman tasted defeat on his La Liga debut with Atletico Madrid.
In Turkey, Victor Osimhen cemented his status as the “King of Boys” among the Galatasaray faithful, netting his 15th goal of the season in a commanding 3-0 victory over Caykur Rizespor on Sunday.
The match, billed as a “Nigerian Derby” pitting Osimhen against Rizespor’s Ibrahim Olawoyin, saw the reigning African Footballer of the Year steal the show.
After goals from Baris Alper Yilmaz and Yunus Akgun had put the hosts in control, Osimhen put the icing on the cake in the 79th minute. The striker displayed his trademark composure to round the goalkeeper and slot home, sealing the three points.
The victory keeps Galatasaray firmly at the summit of the Turkish Super Lig with 52 points from 21 matches, maintaining their charge for the title. Osimhen’s strike means he has now found the net in back-to-back league games, having also scored in the previous win against Kayserispor.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Ademola Lookman’s much-anticipated La Liga debut ended in disappointment as Atletico Madrid fell to a 1-0 defeat against Real Betis at the Metropolitano Stadium.
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The result was a stark turnaround from just three days prior, when Lookman starred with a goal and an assist in Atletico’s 5-0 thrashing of the same opponent in the Copa del Rey. On Sunday, however, the visitors found a way to stifle the Nigerian winger.
Lookman thought he had equalized for Diego Simeone’s side in the first half, but his effort was ruled out for offside. The game was ultimately decided by a 28th-minute strike from Betis winger Antony, who curled a powerful effort past Jan Oblak.
Struggling to break down a disciplined Betis defense, Lookman was substituted in the 70th minute for Obed Vargas.
The loss leaves Atletico Madrid in third place, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 13 points, effectively denting their title aspirations.
While Osimhen continues to fly high in Turkey, Lookman will be hoping to bounce back when Atletico Madrid turn their attention to their next fixture, looking to rediscover the spark that made his midweek cup debut so memorable.
