Why Osimhen nearly came to blows with Fenerbahce’s goalkeeper ahead of Istanbul derby

Tension gripped the pitch long before kickoff on Monday night as a heated confrontation erupted during the warm-up session of the Istanbul Derby, with Victor Osimhen and Fenerbahçe goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat at the center of the chaos.

The highly anticipated clash between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe was already loaded with pressure, as the teams are separated by just one point, threatened to boil over before the whistle.

The incident unfolded at Chobani Stadium while both sides prepared for the Super Lig matchweek 14 showdown.

According to circulating videos, Osimhen appeared visibly irritated as Eğribayat drifted toward Galatasaray’s warm-up area.

The Nigerian striker forcefully gestured for the goalkeeper to “move back” to Fenerbahçe’s assigned zone before giving him a push that immediately attracted the attention of players and staff from both teams.

Security officials reacted instantly, rushing onto the pitch and erecting a temporary barrier at the center circle to prevent further escalation.

Players from both sides were instructed to warm up separately, with the pre-kickoff scene looking increasingly volatile.

Osimhen, who was returning to the starting XI after weeks on the sidelines, later showed little of his usual explosiveness during the game, having been kept quiet by Fenerbahçe’s defence, particularly Milan Skriniar, who allowed him only one shot on target all evening.

Once the match got underway, the drama shifted from confrontation to football as Galatasaray took an early advantage. Leroy Sané, dangerous from the start, broke the deadlock in the 27th minute with a sharp low finish into the bottom-left corner.

But Fenerbahçe finally broke through in the 96th minute when Jhon Durán capitalised on a frantic final sequence to level the game at 1–1.

Fenerbahçe pushed desperately for a winning goal in the final seconds, but Galatasaray held firm to remain top of the Turkish Super Lig, maintaining their one-point lead over their fierce rivals.