Osimhen Shines with Brace as Galatasaray Overcome 10-Man Tottenham in Europa League

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray handed Tottenham Hotspur their first Europa League defeat of the season in a 3-1 victory in Istanbul.

Spurs were reduced to 10 men after teenage forward Will Lankshear received a second yellow card in the 60th minute. Lankshear had earlier scored his first senior goal for the club, but his dismissal further weakened Tottenham's chances.

Despite Lankshear's goal, the final score did not accurately reflect the dominance Galatasaray showed throughout the match. The Turkish side were on top from the start, with Yunus Akgun opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Akgun fired a brilliant left-footed volley past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster from 20 yards, setting the tone for the evening.

Lankshear's equalizer came from close range after being set up by Brennan Johnson, but Tottenham's defensive frailties were apparent. Their repeated mistakes in possession allowed Galatasaray to capitalize on errors, and the hosts took control. Radu Dragusin's mistake at the back led to Osimhen's first goal, with the Napoli loanee reacting quickly to a Dries Mertens pass, scoring with a right-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Osimhen doubled his tally in the 70th minute, once again benefiting from Mertens' creativity. The Belgian's cross from the right wing found Osimhen unmarked in the box, and the Nigerian striker expertly slotted the ball past Forster from eight yards out.

Tottenham's attempts to recover were further thwarted when Dominic Solanke, a substitute for Spurs, netted a late goal for Galatasaray, tapping in from Pedro Porro's pass in the 74th minute. However, despite this late goal, the final scoreline reflected a match where Tottenham were outplayed, especially in the second half.

Although Spurs still sit in a strong position to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages with nine points from four matches, the defeat saw Galatasaray leapfrog them in the group standings. Tottenham's poor defensive performance and inability to manage possession have raised questions about manager Ange Postecoglou's decision to start with several key players on the bench. The hosts, however, were deserving of the three points, and their attacking play was only hindered by some poor finishing and several key saves from Forster.