Liverpool faced Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday, as the Turkish team tried to defend its one-goal advantage during the second leg of the last-16 Champions League tie
20:33, 18 Mar 2026Updated 22:14, 18 Mar 2026
Victor Osimhen clashed with Liverpool players on Wednesday(Image: Paramount+)
Victor Osimhen clashed with Liverpool’s players during the opening stages of Wednesday’s Champions League game at Anfield.
Osimhen and his Galatasaray teammates arrived at Anfield for the second leg of their last-16 tie, looking to hold onto their 1-0 lead from the first game in Istanbul last week. There was drama within 10 minutes of kick-off, as Osimhen went down with an injury.
Liverpool players, perhaps suspecting the Galatasaray striker was time-wasting, reacted angrily and wanted Osimhen to get back to his feet quickly. Yet the latter was not impressed by Liverpool’s protests and almost came to blows with Dominik Szoboszlai.
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“The Liverpool players are trying to lift Victor Osimhen up,” said former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Victor Osimhen is waving his arm about, and his arm looks OK.”
Osimhen and Szoboszlai were only separated by Galatasaray midfielder Mario Lemina before the tension eventually eased. Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah were also involved in the argument, marking the first big talking point of the game.
Osimhen needed to leave the field to receive treatment for his injury. He returned to the field with a bandage on his right arm.
Osimhen was eventually substituted(Image: Getty Images)
Szoboszlai reacted to the drama by putting Liverpool 1-0 up midway through the first half and eliminating Galatasaray’s lead from the first leg. The Hungarian midfielder got on the end of Mac Allister’s low corner and stroked the ball into the back of the net.
“A wonderful corner kick,” added Robinson. “It is a well-worked set-play. The Galatasaray players are surrounding the referee. They feel Roland Sallai was interfered with by Ibrahima Konate. Some of the Galatasaray players were blocked.”
The referee allowed Szoboszlai’s goal to stand. Osimhen, meanwhile, struggled after picking up his injury. “Victor Osimhen is a passenger at the moment,” noted Robinson. “He keeps looking over to the bench, and he is waiting for the substitution.”
Osimhen was eventually substituted at half-time. With its star player missing, Galatasaray crumbled at Anfield after the break.
Salah, who missed a penalty just before the interval, played an excellent ball across the penalty area for Hugo Ekitike to tap in and give Liverpool a 2-1 lead on aggregate.
Robinson noted after the goal: “The belief bleeds back into Anfield. It is that man, Mo Salah. He plays a sumptuous ball across the six-yard line. Hugo Ekitike must be thinking, ‘Thank you very much.'”
Ryan Gravenberch then scored in the 53rd minute to make it 3-0 on the night and give the Reds a commanding lead.
“Liverpool’s shape, with Salah and Ekitike asked to play narrow and Arne Slot’s side getting their width from their full-backs, is how they have pushed Galatasaray back, and it’s how they got their second goal too,” ex-Liverpool star Stephen Warnock told the BBC.
Liverpool went on to win the game 4-0, with Salah finishing the scoring.