Galatasaray assistant coach Ismael García believes Victor Osimhen has the qualities to cause Barcelona serious problems when the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League.
The Super Eagles striker is expected to return to competitive action after recovering from injury, providing Galatasaray with a potential boost ahead of their encounter with the Spanish giants.
Barcelona have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, winning their opening eight league matches, including a 3–0 victory over Getafe at the weekend.
However, Galatasaray believe Osimhen’s pace, physical strength and ability to exploit spaces behind defenders could prove decisive against Barcelona’s aggressive defensive approach.
Speaking to Spanish publication SPORT, García confirmed that the Nigerian forward was ready to play and explained why his characteristics could pose a particular threat to Barcelona.
“He’s ready to play and he’s a game-changer for us,” García said.
“And I’ll tell you more: top players perform well in every match, but perhaps, because of Barcelona’s aggressive style of defence, with their defensive line in the middle of the field, Osimhen is the striker whose characteristics make him the perfect match against that type of defence.
“Beyond the fact that he’s an extraordinary striker, we expect he can cause Barcelona a lot of problems with his style of play.”
Barcelona’s high defensive line can leave space behind their defenders, particularly when opponents win possession and launch quick counter-attacks. Osimhen’s ability to accelerate into open spaces and make powerful runs between defenders could give Galatasaray an opportunity to exploit that weakness.
The 27-year-old’s movement and physical presence could also test Barcelona’s defensive organisation, although Galatasaray would need accurate forward passes and quick transitions to maximise his strengths.
Osimhen has previously scored against Barcelona during his time at Napoli, giving him experience of facing the Spanish side. However, the Nigerian striker has yet to record a victory in four meetings with the Catalan club, according to the supplied report.
Galatasaray also face a difficult historical record against Barcelona. The Turkish club have recorded just one win in 10 previous meetings, with six of those encounters ending in victories for the Spanish side.
Despite that record, García’s assessment suggests Galatasaray believe Osimhen could be central to their efforts to challenge Barcelona and secure a positive result.
