Osimhen Shines, but Galatasaray Crash Out of Europa League

Victor Osimhen found the net for Galatasaray, but his efforts weren’t enough to prevent their Europa League exit as AZ Alkmaar sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory after a 2-2 draw in Istanbul.

Trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Galatasaray needed a miracle to turn things around, but AZ came prepared. The Dutch side started strong, forcing early saves from goalkeeper Günay Güvenç and testing the Turkish defense throughout the first half.

The breakthrough came just before halftime when Ernest Poku set up Seiya Maikuma for an easy finish, putting AZ in full control. Their dominance was cemented when Denso Kasius unleashed a spectacular 25-yard strike to double the lead.

Galatasaray fought back in the final minutes, with Osimhen pulling one back—his sixth goal of the Europa League campaign—before Roland Sallai added a second. But despite the late surge, it was too little, too late.

With this loss, Galatasaray exit European competition for the third time in five seasons, while AZ Alkmaar move on to the last 16, where they await either Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur.