Galatasaray badly missed star striker Victor Osimhen as they suffered a heavy 5–1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in their opening Champions League match. Osimhen was ruled out after picking up an injury during Nigeria’s match against Rwanda in Uyo last week.
The Turkish side took an early lead in front of a lively crowd at Deutsche Bank Park, but Frankfurt responded with five goals in a dominant display.
Galatasaray went ahead in the eighth minute when former Manchester City winger Leroy Sané won the ball deep in his own half. He raced forward and set up Yunus Akgün, who finished neatly into the bottom corner.
Frankfurt didn’t panic and quickly turned things around before half-time. The equaliser came when goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır blocked a shot from Ritsu Doan, but the ball hit Davinson Sánchez and bounced into the net. Then 19-year-old Can Uzun scored a clever goal on the turn to put Frankfurt ahead, before Wilfried Singo headed into his own net while trying to defend a free-kick, making it 3–1 at the break.
In the second half, Jonathan Burkardt added a fourth with a powerful header. Elye Wahi then robbed Gabriel Sala and set up Ansgar Knauff to calmly finish the fifth.
Without Osimhen, Galatasaray struggled to create clear chances and looked far less dangerous in attack. His absence was clearly felt throughout the match.
The result puts Frankfurt at the top of the Champions League standings after the first round of matches. For Galatasaray, it ends a 13-game winning streak in all competitions. Their squad featured former Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, but even his presence couldn’t stop the defeat.