Osimhen was average! - 21-year-old hailed for rescuing Super Eagles star on quiet UCL night

21-year-old Russian midfielder Aleksey Batrakov stepped up to score the decisive goals, helping the Turkish giants get back on winning ways in Europe's top competition.

Batrakov struck twice in the space of three first-half minutes to secure the victory.

He opened the scoring in the 12th minute, pouncing on a loose clearance from Jeff Chabot and rifling the ball into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later, the youngster latched onto a precise through-ball from Davinson Sánchez and slotted the finish between the legs of goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow.

Osimhen started and played the full 90 minutes but failed to find the net, registering several attempts without success.

Former Besiktas midfielder Sinan Engin described the Super Eagles striker’s display as “mediocre” but insisted his mere presence created the space for Batrakov to thrive.

“I think Batrakov will score 7-8 goals in the Champions League. He’s a good player; he deserves the praise,” Engin said.

“Today, Osimhen being mediocre on the field didn’t end up creating a negative impact, but he won with his presence on the field. If there was another player there, Batrakov couldn’t play this comfortably.”