‘Galatasaray really struggled’ - South African legend claims Osimhen’s injury affected Cim Bom’s performance

Liverpool secured their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with a commanding 4-0 victory over Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday night. 

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitiké, Ryan Gravenberch, and Mohamed Salah sealed a dominant performance for the Premier League side.

The Turkish champions' efforts were significantly undermined when star striker Victor Osimhen sustained an early injury. 

Just eleven minutes into the match, the former African Footballer of the Year landed awkwardly on his right wrist after challenging for an aerial ball.

After receiving medical attention and having his arm bandaged, Osimhen briefly returned to the pitch. However, the injury clearly hampered his effectiveness, leading to his substitution at halftime.

Following Galatasaray’s heavy second-leg defeat, Bartlett, in his post-match analysis, pointed to Osimhen's injury as the reason for the team's decapitation.

"It's just unfortunate that they lost Victor Osimhen so early," Bartlett commented on SuperSport. "Even though he played for 45 minutes, it seems that from the tenth minute, when he hurt his arm, he wasn't really in the match, and he's one of the key players for them."

Bartlett praised Liverpool's relentless attack while noting the visitors' struggles. "I can't remember a game where a team were so dominant as far as attacking was concerned," he said. 

"Galatasaray really struggled to get into attacking mode, but you have to compliment Liverpool. They don't have a great record against Galatasaray; I think this is the second time they have beaten them."

The injury to Osimhen is a significant setback for both the player and his club, especially as they chase domestic titles, with the forward now expected to be out of action for a minimum of a month.