Galatasaray eyes another win in Champions League

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray travels to the Netherlands on Nov. 5 to take on Ajax in a Champions League match, hoping to extend its winning streak in the showpiece competition to three matches.

The Lions head to Amsterdam with considerable momentum, with Okan Buruk’s men bouncing back from an opening 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt to secure two straight victories, including a crucial 1-0 home win over Liverpool and a 3-1 defeat of Bodo/Glimt.

The Turkish champion sits 14th in the Champions League league phase standings with six points and will be aiming for a third consecutive Champions League win, a feat not achieved by the club since December 2012.

Galatasaray's attack, fueled by the dynamic Victor Osimhen, who has scored in seven consecutive European appearances, will look to exploit an Ajax defense conceding at a rate of 3.7 goals per game in the competition.

Osimhen is enjoying his time with the Istanbul club and feels very welcome.

“I arrived in Istanbul and I have never seen anything like this before in my life,” The Nigerian star told UEFA.com about his arrival to the city.

“It was unbelievable that there were so many of them at the airport. I think it was 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. Many of them were fathers, husbands, wives. They were supposed to be sleeping with their family, just relaxing at home, but they were outside for one person.”

Osimhen said the main objective with Galatasaray is success on the biggest stage.

“I spoke with the president when I arrived here and we want to really make a statement in the Champions League. We want to show that, in Türkiye, we are the team that the whole world will know this year because we actually did something amazing in Europe,” he said

“We’ve dominated the league for years. We will keep on dominating it, but now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games.”

The Champions League campaign for Ajax this season has been nothing short of a disaster.

The Dutch giant, playing at the Johan Cruijff Arena, is rooted to the bottom of the 36-team league phase with zero points from three matches and a staggering 11 goals conceded.

Ajax’s domestic form has offered little solace, with the team managing only one win in its last six matches across all competitions.

Coach John Heitinga has struggled to bring stability, with the club's defensive frailties laid bare by heavy defeats, including a 5-1 loss to Chelsea and a 4-0 thrashing by Marseille.

The pressure on the Dutch coach increased with a 1-1 draw with Heerenven, with many fans calling for his resignation.

"I understand the question, but I'm not really interested in this topic,” Heitinga said after the match when asked about the reaction.

“The management should make the necessary decisions, not me. All I continue to do is prepare for each match in the best possible way with my team and players," he added.