- Former Turkish referee Ahmet Çakar defended Victor Osimhen after Galatasaray's 1-4 loss to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on October 13
- Osimhen struggled throughout the match, repeatedly getting caught offside against Barcelona's high defensive line during his full 90 minutes
- Çakar pointed to Osimhen's fitness levels and poor service from teammates as the main reasons behind the Nigerian striker's quiet performance
Former Turkish football referee Ahmet Çakar has spoken out in support of Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen after the Nigerian forward endured a frustrating evening in his side's 1-4 UEFA Champions League loss to Barcelona at Rams Park on Tuesday, October 13.
Osimhen, who had only recently returned from a spell on the sidelines through injury, started the game and lasted the full 90 minutes.
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Yet he struggled to impose himself on the contest, repeatedly running into offside traps set by Barcelona's high defensive line.
The performance attracted criticism from fans and analysts, prompting questions about the Super Eagles forward's overall contribution.
Çakar backs Osimhen after poor performance
Speaking on the Libero TV YouTube channel and quoted by Habersarikirmizi, Çakar was direct in his assessment, placing much of the blame for Osimhen's quiet showing on his teammates rather than the striker himself.
"Osimhen, you know, he could play for any team in the world, he'd be the top scorer in the Premier League," Çakar said.
"I didn't see anything like that in this match. I admit, he's just recovered from injury, but what kind of performance did the team give him that he should play like that?"
The Turkish referee's comments highlight a broader concern about the service Osimhen received from those around him, suggesting the striker was left isolated for long stretches of the match.
Osimhen's form before and after injury
Prior to picking up his injury, Osimhen had been one of the most in-form forwards in Europe.
As seen on Transfermarkt, the Super Eagles striker had scored six goals and contributed two assists across just four league appearances, establishing himself as a key figure in Galatasaray's attack.
Osimhen showed signs of returning to that level after recovering, registering an assist in Galatasaray's 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa shortly before the Barcelona fixture.
However, the demands of facing a Barcelona side operating at full intensity proved a different challenge entirely, and Osimhen was unable to replicate that sharpness on the night.
The loss to Barcelona, combined with a poor result in their opening Champions League fixture, leaves Galatasaray without a point from their first two group-stage games this season.
The Turkish club will need a significant improvement in performance if they are to mount any kind of challenge in Europe's premier club competition.
Osimhen set an unwanted record vs Barcelona
Legit.ng previously reported about Osimhen’s return from injury as Galatasaray suffered a 4–1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
Osimhen was caught offside six times, the most by any player in a Champions League match this season. A disallowed Galatasaray goal proved a turning point as Barcelona went on to score four unanswered goals.
Source: Legit.ng