Victor Osimhen has criticised Galatasaray’s performance despite their dramatic UEFA Champions League playoff victory over Juventus, which secured qualification for the Round of 16.

Galatasaray progressed after an extra-time win in the second leg on Wednesday in Turin, completing a 7–5 aggregate triumph following their 5–2 first-leg victory in Istanbul. Juventus raced into a 3–0 lead on the night before Osimhen pulled one back to make it 3–1, restoring Galatasaray’s aggregate advantage at 6–5. A late strike by Barış Alper Yılmaz eventually sealed qualification for the Turkish champions.

Speaking live on CBS Sports Golazo after the match, the Super Eagles striker offered a blunt assessment of his team’s display.

“If I have to be honest, I am disappointed with the performance of the team,” Osimhen said.

“Kudos to Juventus for the kind of display they put up. We qualified, but we have a lot to improve on if we are going into the next round to face the big teams.

This performance was not really good. Juventus deserved the win, but I’m happy my team qualified.”

The 27-year-old also pointed to a lack of composure among some of his teammates, admitting that the atmosphere in Turin played a major role.

“Some of my teammates were timid. I tried to motivate them — I cannot do it alone,” he added.

“They were scared by the crowd and the way Juventus were playing.

But I know this team: when you sit back and let them play, they can do even more damage. They actually played better with a red card than when they were 11.”

Osimhen’s remarks quickly sparked debate on social media, with supporters divided over his forthright criticism. While some praised his honesty and leadership, others questioned whether such comments could unsettle the dressing room.

Looking ahead to the Round of 16 draw, which could pit Galatasaray against either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, Osimhen acknowledged the scale of the challenge.

“Meeting Liverpool now would feel like some kind of revenge,” he said.

“Whoever we meet will be tough, but honestly, I would prefer to avoid Liverpool.”