Victor Osimhen featured for 77 minutes as Fenerbahçe snatched a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to earn a 1–1 draw against arch-rivals Galatasaray in a heated Istanbul derby on Monday evening.
The Nigerian striker led the line for the Yellow Canaries in a fiercely contested Süper Lig encounter at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, after a ten days injury lay off.
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The Nigerian forward passed a fitness after he ruptured his tigh muscle while on international duty for Nigeria during CAF play off final against DR Congo.
Galatasaray has failed to win of their last two matches without Osimhen and expectations are rife that he will return with the goals if selected
but it was Leroy Sane who put Galatasaray ahead in the 27th minute after a swift attacking move.
Fenerbahçe pushed relentlessly for a response, dominating possession and creating more attacking situations, but struggled to find a breakthrough despite Osimhen’s constant movement and pressing upfront.
The match looked destined to end in defeat for the hosts until substitute Jhon Durán delivered the decisive moment.
The Colombian striker pounced deep into stoppage time, scoring in the 90+5 minute to send the home supporters into wild celebration and secure a valuable point.
Fenerbahçe finished the match with 54% possession, 14 total shots, and seven corners, compared to Galatasaray’s seven shots and three corners.
Both sides managed two shots on target each in a balanced statistical display.
The result means Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray maintain their tight battle at the top end of the table, with the derby once again living up to its reputation for intensity, drama, and late twists.
The draw extends Fenerbahçe’s their unbeaten run in the league while their struggles in the rivalry derby continues with only one win in their last five meetings.
Durán’s late heroics ensured Osimhen and his teammates missed a morale-boosting victory in front of the Instabul crowd.
