By SURAJUDEEN HASIBUNALLAH

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen made a massive impact on his return to the Galatasaray starting lineup, helping his side secure a dominant 3-0 victory over fierce rivals Fenerbahce in the Intercontinental Derby.

The forward had been sidelined for 35 days due to a forearm fracture he sustained during a Champions League match against Liverpool. The build-up to the match was filled with tension as Fenerbahce petitioned the Turkish Football Federation to ban Osimhen from playing with his hard protective cast, claiming it was a hazard to other players.
However, the Federation dismissed the petition and cleared the forward to feature.
Osimhen latched onto a pass from Mario Lemina and calmly slotted it past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.

To celebrate, he pointed directly to the protective cast on his arm and made a mock crying gesture directed at the opposition.

The goal marked his 20th strike in 31 appearances for Galatasaray, highlighting his lethal form at the club.
The derby was intensely physical and a series of heated altercations involving Osimhen and Fenerbahçe players drew heavy attention.

While many rival fans heavily voiced their belief that his aggressive encounters warranted a direct red card, the referee only issued him a yellow card during the clash.
The Nigerian capped off his dislay  with a heartwarming post-match gesture, making a young fan’s day by putting on the child’s cap and dancing with him on the pitch.

Following a red card to Fenerbahce’s side, Galatasaray capitalized with a penalty from Barış Alper Yılmaz and a late strike from Lucas Torreira to comfortably wrap up the 3-0 scoreline.

Do you think Osimhen deserved a red card?

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