Galatasaray secured a 1-0 win against Liverpool in their UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday, courtesy of Mario Lemina’s early diving header at the Rams Park Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Before the match. Galatsaray fans unveiled a banner in honour of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen saying; “We are a family and family is everything.” It was a heartfelt tribute to his late mother, whom he lost at a very young age.
After seeing the touching display, Osimhen was overcome with emotion and walked over to the Galatasaray fans to personally thank them for their gesture.
The Turkish champions struck after seven minutes when Lemina nodded home after Osimhen headed a corner back across goal,
Just after the hour mark, Osimhen tapped the ball into an open net, but Liverpool were spared as Baris Alper Yilmaz had strayed offside in the build-up.
Liverpool found the net in the 70th minute, forcing the ball over the line after a goalmouth scramble, with the effort ruled out following a VAR review as the ball had seemingly struck Ibrahima Konate’s hand before ricocheting into the net.
As the clock ticked down in the second half, Liverpool began to create opportunities, forcing Galatasaray onto the defensive. However, Galatasaray held firm to claim victory, giving them a precious advantage ahead of the second leg at Anfield.
“We created a lot of chances, but we also missed a lot. I think we came very close to scoring in the first half. It’s very important to take advantage of these opportunities and convert them into goals,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said.
“The second leg will be at our home. And that’s definitely an advantage for us,” he said. “Everything is in our hands when we’re at home. We’ll be playing there to advance to the next round.”
The return leg will be played next Wednesday.
Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League results
Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool
Atalanta 1-6 Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Newcastle 1-1 Barcelona.