Nigerian Striker Victor Osimhen Sets Fresh Champions League Records in Galatasaray’s Victory at Ajax
Victor Osimhen continued his sensational Champions League form with a stunning hat-trick as Galatasaray cruised to a 3-0 win over Ajax in Amsterdam.
The Super Eagles striker, who missed the Turkish champions’ opening group game against Eintracht Frankfurt, has now scored in every one of his three Champions League appearances this season.
His latest performance not only gave Galatasaray their best-ever start in the competition but also saw him rewrite several club and national records in one breathtaking evening.
Osimhen opened the scoring just before the hour-mark with a well-placed header from a sensational Leroy Sané cross.
The former Napoli man doubled his side’s advantage a few minutes later from the penalty spot after VAR picked up a handball incident in the Ajax area.
Osimhen and Galatasaray’s third also came from the penalty spot as the Nigerian forward sent the Ajax goalkeeper the wrong way with a confident strike.
The treble takes his tally to six goals in the competition, more than any other player this season. Only Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane come close, all three on five.
It also made Osimhen the first Galatasaray player to score a Champions League hat-trick since Burak Yılmaz in 2012, and the first ever to score in three consecutive Champions League matches for the Turkish giants.
With this victory, Galatasaray sit in ninth place with nine points, two more than Chelsea, Barcelona, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta.
Victor Osimhen’s night of records
The magnitude of Osimhen’s performance in Amsterdam stretches far beyond the scoreline. His three goals against Ajax took his total in UEFA competitions to 25, propelling him past Obafemi Martins (23) as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in European tournaments.
Before the match, Osimhen stood on the verge of history with 22 European goals – just one shy of Martins’ tally.
Nigeria’s leading goalscorer in the Champions League, Osimhen extends his haul to 15 in the competition.
The 2023 African Player of the Year is also the second Nigerian after Yakubu Aiyegbeni to score a Champions League hat-trick. Yakubu achieved the feat for Maccabi Haifa in a 3–0 win over Olympiacos in September 2002.
With his goals against Ajax, Osimhen has now scored in eight consecutive European matches for Galatasaray, extending the record he claimed from Burak Yılmaz last time out.
Since joining from Napoli, Osimhen has now scored 46 goals in 50 matches across all competitions for the Turkish giants, 12 of which have come in Europe.
With his 12 goals, Osimhen has joined Milan Baros and Shabani Nonda has the all-time highest goalscorers for Galatasaray in European competitions.
The Super Eagles striker will aim to hold the record outright when Galatasaray face Union Saint-Gilloise on November 25.