Victor Osimhen etched his name into the history books on Wednesday night, scoring as Galatasaray eliminated Juventus in a pulsating UEFA Champions League encounter.

The Nigerian striker is now the foreign player with the most European competition goals in Galatasaray’s history, taking his tally to 13. He surpasses Milan Baroš, who had held the record for over a decade with 12 goals during his time at the Rams Park.

Juventus, trailing from the first leg in Turkey, approached the return fixture knowing they required three goals to overturn the deficit. The Serie A side began with urgency and intent, pressing high and committing bodies forward.

Their positive start paid off in the 37th minute when captain Manuel Locatelli calmly converted from the penalty spot after Khéphren Thuram was brought down by Lucas Torreira inside the area.

However, the Italian giants suffered a major setback just four minutes into the second half when Lloyd Kelly was shown a red card for a reckless challenge, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Juventus responded bravely. Goals from Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie brought the tie level on aggregate and forced extra time, setting up a dramatic finale.

Osimhen would ultimately deliver the decisive blow. The former SSC Napoli forward found space inside the area and drilled a low effort through the legs of Mattia Perin, before Barış Alper Yılmaz added another to seal progression for Okan Buruk’s side.

The 2023 African Player of the Year now has seven goals in this season’s Champions League campaign. His commanding display — which included five shots and 15 passes at 66.7 percent accuracy — earned him the man-of-the-match award.

“This match was disappointing from the start. Congratulations to Juventus, they really pushed us hard. We knew this was a tough pitch,” Osimhen told reporters.

“Even with 10 men, they pushed hard and scored two goals. I’m happy with my goal and what I did. We know we have a lot to work on.

“Juventus deserved to win, but we deserved to advance to the next round. Even in the most difficult moments, the fans were with us.

“Galatasaray fans deserve this happiness to the fullest. Even when we were behind, they never stopped supporting us.

“We can say that we advanced to the next round thanks to them. We will continue to work. We need their support very much. We have a long way to go, but we are sure that they will be with us every step of the way.”

Galatasaray will now face either Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool FC in the Round of 16 when UEFA conducts the draw on Friday.