Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick as Galatasaray got an important victory away at Ajax. The trio of goals from Osimhen takes him to the top of the goalscoring charts in the competition and Galatasaray into 9th position on the table, although level on points with PSG in 5th. Galatasaray were clearly the better team on the night and deserved their win, one that could have been even bigger but for Remko Pasveer in the Ajax goal, who made a number of excellent saves.
Roland Sallai and Leroy Sane were on the flanks either side of Osimhen with Gabriel Sara in the number 10 position. Lucas Torreira and Mario Lemina were the double pivot and the defense consisted of Davinson Sanchez, Wilfred Singo, Abdülkerim Bardakci and Ismail Jakobs, with Ugurcan Cakir in goal. Josip Sutalo, Davy Klaasen, Oscar Gloukh and Wout Weghorst were all in the starting XI for Ajax.
The start of the match was characterized by Galatasaray’s early intent and Ajax’s familiar struggles, a pattern that ultimately led to a commanding victory for the Turkish giants. The opening exchanges saw Galatasaray immediately assert their offensive presence. Key to this fast start was the threat posed by striker Victor Osimhen, who, in the early stages, forced two excellent saves from the veteran Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer. Osimhen first tested Pasveer with a sharp volley, and from the resulting corner, he forced the keeper into action again with a header, signaling Galatasaray’s clear ambition.
The intensity of the contest saw an early booking in the 4th minute, with Ajax’s Jorthy Mokio receiving a yellow card for a foul. Despite the yellow card, Ajax managed to survive the initial onslaught, but Galatasaray continued to probe. In the 12th minute, a dangerous cross was whipped in by Wilfried Singo after a run down the flank, requiring an alert Ajax defender to intercept and clear the danger. A few minutes later, the visitors registered a rather wayward shot as Gabriel Sara’s powerful header from a counterattack drifted wide of the goal in the 18th minute.
Ajax struggled significantly to generate any meaningful offense throughout the first half, demonstrating why they have been rooted at the bottom of the league phase. Jorthy Mokio however had a chance in the 34th minute, a shot that forced a save from Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, providing a brief flicker of hope for the home fans.
Ajax created another chance in the 37th minute when Oscar Gloukh crafted an opportunity from the center of the box, but his shot flew wide of the Turkish goal, failing to capitalize on the moment. Just before the break, in the 38th minute, Ajax picked up their second caution of the night, with Anton Gaaei being booked for a dangerous foul on Roland Sallai. The teams went into halftime with the score surprisingly tied at 0-0, a result that flattered the hosts given Galatasaray’s dominance and early opportunities.
The second half began with immediate tactical changes from both benches in the 46th minute. Ajax replaced Owen Wijndal with Gerald Alders, while Galatasaray introduced Baris Yilmaz in place of Gabriel Sara, seeking to maintain their pressure.
Galatasaray’s pressure finally paid off, and the crucial breakthrough arrived in the 59th minute. Victor Osimhen, who had been a constant threat, broke the deadlock, scoring the first of his three goals with a towering header off a well-delivered cross from Leroy Sané. The goal shattered Ajax’s fragile resistance and immediately shifted the momentum entirely to the visitors. In the ensuing chaos, Ajax manager John Heitinga received a yellow card for dissent in the 61st minute.
The collapse continued in the 66th minute when Ajax conceded a penalty for a handball inside the box by Youri Baas. Victor Osimhen stepped up to the spot and calmly converted, scoring his second goal to double Galatasaray’s lead to 0-2 and effectively take control of the match.
Ajax attempted to respond with a double substitution in the 70th minute, bringing on Mika Godts and James McConnell to replace Youri Regeer and the earlier cautioned Jorthy Mokio, aiming to inject pace and renewed effort. However, the changes did little to staunch the flow of the game, and Ajax’s frustration led to another yellow card in the 75th minute for Davy Klaassen for roughness.
The final nail in the coffin was hammered in the 78th minute when Galatasaray was awarded a second penalty, this time for a foul in the box. Victor Osimhen was clinical once more,
converting his second spot-kick to complete a remarkable hat-trick and seal the 0-3 scoreline.
With the match settled, both sides utilized their remaining substitutions.
In the 81st minute, Osimhen, the hat-trick hero, was substituted off for Mauro Icardi. Ajax picked up their fourth yellow card of the match in the 85th minute, with James McConnell being booked for tripping. Galatasaray made further changes in the 86th minute, bringing on Ismail Jakobs and Mario Lemina, and then Lucas Torreira in the 89th minute, seeing out the final moments of a dominating performance. The referee blew the full-time whistle soon after, confirming a crushing 0-3 defeat for Ajax, who remain winless in the league phase, and a momentous victory for Galatasaray.
