Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has praised Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen, saying the Galatasaray striker made life exceptionally difficult for Tottenham Hotspur’s defense during their UEFA Europa League clash.
Osimhen, who has been in sensational form, was a constant threat to Tottenham’s backline throughout the game, with Hoddle noting that the striker could have easily netted multiple goals despite scoring a first-half brace that helped Galatasaray claim a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the RAMS Park on Thursday night.
The match kicked off with an early goal from Galatasaray’s Yunus Akgün, whose stunning volley found the top corner after Gabriel Sara’s free-kick was cleared.
Tottenham quickly responded, with Will Lankshear tapping in a low cross from Brennan Johnson to level the score.
However, it was Osimhen’s clinical double in the first half that set the tone for the match.
In the 30th minute, Tottenham center-back Radu Drăgușin lost possession under pressure, allowing Dries Mertens to set up Osimhen, who finished coolly into the bottom corner.
Just eight minutes later, the Nigerian striker struck again, converting another Mertens cross with a precise poke into the bottom corner.
Tottenham did manage to reduce the deficit in the second half, with Dominic Solanke displaying brilliant skill to turn a Pedro Porro pass into the net.
However, Galatasaray held on for the victory, much thanks to Osimhen’s decisive contributions.
Osimhen, who joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan from Napoli after a tumultuous summer transfer window, has made an immediate impact in Turkey.
The Nigerian forward has scored six goals and provided four assists in just eight appearances across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Chelsea legend Joe Cole has blamed Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda for the striker missing out on a move to a top European club during the summer transfer window.
The Nigeria international was heavily courted by Premier League side Chelsea and Saudi club Al-Ahli in the hours leading up to the close of the summer transfer window in the top five European leagues but a move did not happen.
French giants Paris Saint-Germain were rumored as an option for Osimhen but nothing was concrete.
Last December, the reigning African Footballer of the Year signed a new contract at Napoli with a release clause of 130 million euros valid for foreign clubs and claimed his mental health was seriously affected at Napoli after the TikTok incident and there was no going back on his decision to depart the Diego Maradona Stadium. Osimhen also rejected a loan move to Chelsea, claiming that 43 percent of the weekly wages goes to the British government, 20 percent to NHS and another £20,000 for image rights.
At the end, the Super Eagles star was frozen out of the first team at Napoli before agreeing a shock move to Turkish champions Galatasaray which Cole did not like and blamed Osihmen’s agent for the move where many big clubs were looking for a striker.