Galatasaray head coach, Okan Buruk, has explained that his decision to substitute Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen, during their 4-1 victory over Sivasspor was a precautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the player’s fitness and availability for upcoming fixtures.
Osimhen, who has been in blistering form for the Yellow and Reds, scored twice at the RAMS Park on Saturday night, taking his tally to 33 goals across all competitions this season.
The win keeps Galatasaray firmly on course for a third consecutive Turkish Super Lig title.
Despite Osimhen being on a brace and in pursuit of a hat-trick, Buruk opted to take the striker off in the 70th minute, replacing him with Belgian veteran Dries Mertens.
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“I prevented him from raising his career record,” Buruk said jokingly in a post-match interview with the club’s official website. Thinking about the next match, I wanted to reduce the risk of injury. He is also on the verge of a card.”
The manager acknowledged that players are often eager to continue when in top form but emphasised the need for strategic decisions to protect key squad members.
“He could have scored a hat-trick today. But we are also fighting a separate battle to protect our players on the sidelines,” Buruk added.
Galatasaray remains in pole position in the Super Lig title race with only a few games left in the season, as the club seeks to cement its dominance in Turkish football.
