Osimhen Fires Galatasaray To Glory With Brace As Club Clinches Record 26th Turkish Title

The victory confirmed a fourth consecutive league triumph for Galatasaray, matching one of the most successful eras in the club’s history (1996–2000), though the match itself proved far more difficult than expected and briefly threatened to derail the celebrations in Istanbul.

Antalyaspor shocked the home fans just before halftime when Soner Dikmen put the visitors ahead. The pressure increased after the break when Mario Lemina equalised in the 56th minute, only for Dikmen to restore Antalyaspor’s lead six minutes later.

Osimhen then took control of the game. The Nigerian forward first won and converted a penalty in the 66th minute to level the score at 2-2 before scoring the decisive goal in the 88th minute to complete the turnaround. Kaan Ayhan added a late fourth goal in stoppage time to confirm the title-winning result.

The triumph adds another major achievement to Osimhen’s career, which has seen him maintain exceptional form with goal contributions in his last 11 league matches. His honours include the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, the Serie A title, and a domestic double in Turkey last season.

Galatasaray went into the match needing at least a positive result after leading Fenerbahce by four points, and manager Okan Buruk’s side delivered under pressure, despite heightened expectations and reports of a €5 million bonus tied to winning the title at home.

Celebrations erupted immediately after the final whistle, with fans flooding the streets of Istanbul in scenes similar to last season’s celebrations that stretched across the city and even onto the Bosphorus.