Osimhen ends goal drought as Galatasaray boss backs VAR penalty reversal

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has backed the referee’s decision to overturn a penalty initially awarded to his side during their 4-2 victory over Lille in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen appeared to have won a penalty for the Turkish champions in the first half after Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer made contact with him while attempting to clear the ball.

Referee Rade Obrenović initially pointed to the spot but reversed his decision after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Despite the disappointment, Osimhen found the net in the second half, scoring his first Champions League goal of the campaign as Galatasaray secured an important victory.

Speaking after the match, Buruk described the overturned penalty as the correct decision, contrasting the officiating with what he considered poor refereeing during Galatasaray’s previous encounter against Sporting.

“I will say this because you asked. In the Sporting match, there was a very bad referee and VAR referee,” Buruk said, according to Sondakika.

“Today, there was a good referee and VAR referee. The cancellation of our penalty today was the correct decision.”

The Galatasaray manager, however, maintained that his team had suffered from significant refereeing errors in the Sporting match, particularly over a penalty appeal and a potential red-card incident.

“However, in the Sporting match, there was a penalty that wasn’t given and a red card that wasn’t given,” he said.

Buruk argued that the decisions contributed to Galatasaray’s defeat despite what he described as a strong performance from his players.

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“We lost to Sporting due to a significant refereeing mistake in a match where we demonstrated excellent performance. Today, following the 2-1 score, we responded promptly,” he added.

The victory over Lille offered Galatasaray a boost in their European campaign, while Osimhen’s goal provided a timely return to scoring after he failed to find the net against Barcelona and Gençlerbirliği.

The Nigerian forward will hope to build on the breakthrough as Galatasaray continue their Champions League campaign and pursue further success in domestic competitions.