Victor Osimhen’s eight game goal run in Europe came to an end as Galatasaray fell to a 1-0 loss to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League.
The match was decided by a goal from Folarin Balogun, the United States international of Nigerian descent, who found the net to secure the win for Monaco.
It was a night to forget for Osimhen, who failed to register a single shot on target.
He completed just seven passes, with only one of those into the final third, and managed to complete only one dribble.
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk expressed his disappointment after the match.
“When the match ended, we experienced a night of disappointment, one where we said, ‘how can we not beat this team?’ The game we played in the first half, the dominance we established over the opponent… We couldn’t see it through to the end.”
Buruk also criticized Monaco’s defensive performance: “Monaco was perhaps one of the worst teams we’ve played in terms of defense.”
He then blamed time-wasting for his side’s inability to secure the win.
“In the last part, we switched back to two strikers, the opponent pulled back, and the match ended somewhat due to the opposing players lying on the ground and the referee allowing it.”
In addition, Buruk highlighted the impact of Galatasaray’s injury and suspension issues, which had a major effect on their performance.
“There are such misfortunes in football. They all happened to us at the same time. It’s not just injuries; two of our defenders received suspensions.
“In recent weeks, we’ve had to play with the same players all the time. When you look at the bench today, we didn’t have a single defender.
“We’ve been through a tough period, and it’s very hard to calculate this.”
Buruk also emphasized the importance of proper planning and transfers:
“You need to have a budget for transfers. It’s not just TFF, there’s also UEFA. As you know, we transferred Osimhen. We’ve brought in very important players like Sane, like Uğurcan, like Singo, like İlkay, but we can’t know this scenario.
“Whatever happened, everything piled up all at once due to injuries. If there’s anyone responsible, of course it’s me.”
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Galatasaray now have three losses and three wins from their six Champions League games this season.
They will turn their attention to domestic action, where they face Antalyaspor in the Super Lig on December 13.
Buruk will be hoping for a return to form, with Osimhen expected to play a key role in helping the team get back to winning ways.
