Champions League: Victor Osimhen's Hat-Trick Powers Galatasaray Past Ajax While Atalanta Secures Late Win Against Marseille

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Victor Osimhen's hat-trick, including two penalties, propelled Galatasaray to a 3-0 victory over Ajax in the Champions League. The Nigerian striker initiated the scoring with a diving header from Leroy Sane's cross at Johan Cruyff Arena. He then converted two penalties, awarded for handballs by Youri Baas and Gerald Alders, sealing the win. This result leaves Galatasaray with nine points, while Ajax remains winless after four matches.

Osimhen's performance places him among elite company as only the third player to score a hat-trick away at Ajax in the Champions League. He joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Lucas Moura in this exclusive group. Additionally, Osimhen is just the second Galatasaray player to achieve a hat-trick in this competition, following Burak Yilmaz's feat against CFR Cluj in 2012.

Atalanta secured a dramatic 1-0 win over Marseille at Stade Velodrome thanks to Lazar Samardzic's last-minute goal. Charles De Ketelaere missed a first-half penalty saved by Geronimo Rulli, and Ademola Lookman's goal was disallowed. Despite several missed opportunities, Atalanta found victory through Samardzic's breakaway goal. Marseille felt aggrieved as they believed Ederson handled the ball in his area.

Geronimo Rulli, despite being on the losing side for Marseille, has an impressive record of saving penalties. Since last season, he has stopped four out of ten penalties faced in Europe's top leagues. Only Nikola Vasilj and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic have saved more during this period, each with six saves.

Atalanta's defensive strength is evident as they have achieved seven clean sheets since last season began. Only Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain have more shutouts in the Champions League during this time. Atalanta's recent back-to-back clean sheets highlight their improved defensive form after previously managing just one in eight matches.

Osimhen has now scored in eight consecutive major European competitions, marking the longest streak since Robert Lewandowski scored in nine straight games between November 2020 and 2021. This consistency underscores Osimhen's growing influence on the European stage.

Galatasaray shared their excitement on Twitter with a post celebrating Osimhen's hat-trick against Ajax:

Galatasaray's victory over Ajax highlights their strong position in the group stage with nine points from four games. Meanwhile, Ajax struggles at the bottom without any wins so far. This match showcased both teams' contrasting fortunes as Galatasaray continues to impress while Ajax faces challenges ahead.