'Osimhen vs Van Dijk' — Fans give verdict as Galatasaray and Liverpool meet again in Champions League round of 16

The Champions League Round of 16 draw has delivered the rematch that fans across the world have been waiting for since September; Galatasaray and Liverpool, again.

And within minutes of Friday's draw, social media had already settled on the angle that matters most - Osimhen versus Van Dijk: Round two.

The draw could not have been more perfect. Or more dangerous, depending on which side you support.

Cast your mind back to Istanbul in September 2025. Galatasaray hosted Liverpool in the league phase, and the Rams Park produced exactly the kind of night that makes the Champions League the greatest competition in football.

Victor Osimhen was the difference. Sixteen minutes in, after Barıs Alper Yılmaz was brought down inside the area, the Super Eagles striker stepped up and drove his penalty past the goalkeeper with the cold composure that has defined his entire European campaign. One-nil.

Liverpool pushed. Liverpool pressed. Arne Slot threw everything at Galatasaray in the closing stages, and in the 88th minute they thought they had their equaliser, a penalty awarded that would have levelled the match and salvaged a point from a night that was slipping away. VAR took it back.

The final whistle blew, Galatasaray won. Liverpool went home frustrated. And somewhere in the back of Van Dijk's mind, a name was filed away for future reference.

That future reference arrives in the Round of 16.

When fans reacted to Friday's draw, the conversation did not take long to find its centre of gravity. Two physical titans.

Two players who are arguably the finest in the world at their respective positions right now. One rematch to settle what the first meeting left unresolved.

Osimhen enters this tie in the form of his life, eight Champions League goals this season, a Player of the Match award in Turin, and the mentality of a man who thrives precisely when the stakes are highest.

He has already acknowledged the significance of the draw, calling the upcoming tie something close to revenge from Liverpool's perspective and welcoming the challenge that comes with it.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, has not been in the kind of imperious form that makes opposing strikers rethink their career choices. But the 1-0 defeat in Istanbul remains a rare blemish on his European record this season.

An Osimhen who is faster, stronger, and more determined than ever against a Van Dijk who arrives with something to prove. If the first meeting was a tactical chess match, the second promises to be a war.

The reactions to Friday's draw captured the full spectrum of what this tie means to supporters on both sides.

"History repeats itself," wrote one fan, a nod to the sides' famous 2001 quarter-final clash, where Liverpool advanced on penalties in a night that remains part of Champions League folklore for both clubs.

Others were more direct in their assessment. "Galatasaray already got the better of Liverpool earlier this season. Can they do it again? Honestly, with their current form and considering Liverpool's situation right now, it's possible. They've got a hero in the squad, the kind of player who can make the difference on nights like this. Personally, I'm backing Galatasaray all the way."

The neutrals, meanwhile, simply appreciated the spectacle. "Among all the draws, this one is so balanced." It is difficult to argue with that verdict.

Beyond the individual battle, beyond the history and the narratives, this tie carries enormous consequences for both clubs.

The winner advances to the quarter-finals, where either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea awaits, a path that leads, for whoever survives, to genuine Champions League glory.

For Liverpool, it is a chance to avenge a defeat that still stings and to demonstrate that Slot's side are built for the biggest occasions.

For Galatasaray, it is an opportunity to prove that their journey from Istanbul to the latter stages of the Champions League is not a fairy tale, it is a genuine statement of European intent.

Osimhen said it himself after the Juventus victory, there is a team in Turkiye that can fight the big dogs. Liverpool are the latest big dogs in Galatasaray's path to glory.