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Victor Osimhen delivered when it mattered most as Galatasaray edged Juventus 7-5 on aggregate after a dramatic extra-time battle in Turin to book their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Holding a 5-2 advantage from the first leg in Istanbul, the Turkish champions appeared in control of the tie. But a spirited Juventus performance, despite playing more than an hour with 10 men, forced the contest into extra time before Osimhen’s decisive strike ended the Italians’ comeback hopes.
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Juventus needed a near-perfect performance to overturn the heavy first-leg deficit. They started brightly and were rewarded in the 37th minute when Manuel Locatelli converted from the penalty spot to cut the aggregate score to 5-3.
The momentum shifted further in the hosts’ favour after the break, even though Lloyd Kelly was sent off in the 48th minute following a VAR review that upgraded his second yellow card to a straight red.
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Down to 10 men, Juventus refused to fold. Federico Gatti tapped home from close range in the 70th minute to make it 5-4 on aggregate, before Weston McKennie rose at the far post to head in a third on the night and level the tie at 5-5 overall.
Galatasaray, who had looked comfortable for long spells across both legs, suddenly found themselves under intense pressure. However, they steadied in extra time.
The breakthrough came in the 105th minute. A defensive slip allowed Osimhen to latch onto a loose ball inside the box, and the Nigerian striker calmly drilled his effort through the goalkeeper’s legs to restore Galatasaray’s aggregate lead at 6-5.
Juventus pushed forward in search of another equaliser, but their resistance finally ended in stoppage time of extra time when Baris Alper Yilmaz finished off a swift counter-attack to seal a 7-5 aggregate victory for the visitors.
Osimhen’s goal underlined his growing influence in Europe this season, adding to an impressive scoring run in the competition and ensuring Galatasaray’s progression.
The Nigerian striker has scored seven goals in eight matches in the Champions League this season.
ALSO READ: Osimhen warns Juventus ahead of Champions League clash
With his goal on Wednesday, Osimhen has also become the highest scoring foreign player for Galatasaray in the Champions League with 13 goals.
Other games
Elsewhere, Real Madrid secured a 3-1 aggregate win over Benfica after a 2-1 second-leg victory in Spain.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain advanced 5-4 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw with AS Monaco.
In Italy, Atalanta sealed a dramatic 4-3 aggregate triumph over Borussia Dortmund thanks to a stoppage-time penalty, while other confirmed qualifiers include Atlético Madrid, Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.
The draw for the Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, with Galatasaray now awaiting their next European challenge.
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