Sunday Feb 15, 2026. 15:00
Galatasaray SK manager Okan Buruk has expressed his excitement at seeing Nigerian star Victor Osimhen combine so effectively with strike partner Mauro Icardi.
The two forwards put up a brilliant showing in Gala’s 5-1 win over Eyupspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Friday, sparking speculation that the pair will start on Tuesday evening when Juventus come to Istanbul for the first leg of the clubs’ UEFA Champions League playoff tie.
Icardi scored a hat-trick in the 5-1 win, while Osimhen provided two assists. The two stars rarely play together, as Buruk tends to select formations featuring only one centre forward, but against Eyuspor he opted for a 4-4-2 formation which allowed the Nigerian and Italian to partner each other.
“Icardi’s three goals, Osimhen’s two assists… There are many positive things,” Buruk was quoted by Gala’s official website.
“We played with two strikers. We used it in the Kocaelispor match, and people thought Osimhen and Icardi couldn’t play together. We tried it and got positive results.
“There were some new players. Sacha Boey is very out of match practice. He hasn’t played 90 minutes in a long time. Wilfried Singo played 45 minutes. Renato Nhaga came on and our fans were very supportive. There was a great atmosphere, we gave our fans a wonderful night. We are continuing on our path.”
Juventus represent a tough opponent for the Turkish club, but Buruk is confident that his side can upset the ‘Bianconeri’.
“A very different match and a very strong opponent awaits us. We will immediately recover mentally and prepare. You know how Atletico Madrid plays, but Juventus has very different formations,” noted the Gala boss.
“Their build-up play can change from time to time. They have players who are very difficult to predict. They have very good wing players up front, Kenan Yıldız is very valuable. They don’t give away easy chances.
“It’s a two-legged match and we will think like that,” he noted. “We are in a much better place physically, mentally and in terms of squad. Our goal will be to beat Juventus.”
Osimhen has struck six goals in this season’s Champions League thus far – only Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, 13 goals), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, 8) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City, 7) have scored more.