Former Nigeria and Brentford during an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa defender Sam Sodje believes even a fully fit Victor Osimhen could not have saved Galatasaray from their Champions League exit at the hands of Liverpool on Wednesday night.
​Osimhen played much of the first half with a fractured arm in a desperate bid to keep the Turkish champions’ European dreams alive.
However, the atmosphere at Anfield proved too suffocating for the visitors, as the Reds overturned a first-leg deficit with a dominant 4-0 victory, advancing 4-1 on aggregate to the quarter-finals.
​Fortress of Anfield
​Despite Galatasaray holding a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg in Istanbul, Sodje exclusively told Footy-Africa in an exclusive interview that the result in Merseyside felt inevitable.
​”I think playing at Liverpool was always going to be tough. I’ve been there before; I always knew Anfield would be a tough ground for Galatasaray, even though they lost 1-0 at Turkey,” Sodje remarked.
​”It was always going to be tough. We might say if Osimhen was fit, but I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I think that’s why Liverpool has been very successful in Europe, because playing at Anfield is always tough for foreign clubs.”
Maç sonucu.#LIVvGS #UCL pic.twitter.com/a4AMezzpTB
— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) March 18, 2026
Injury blow
​Osimhen, who was the architect of Galatasaray’s first-leg advantage with a crucial assist, saw his night take a disastrous turn in just the 10th minute. A heavy collision with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté left the striker with a fractured forearm.
The former African Footballer of the Year attempted to play through the pain before being withdrawn at the interval. Galatasaray medical staff have since confirmed that Osimhen requires surgery and faces at least a month on the sidelines.
​Reflecting on the decision to keep the injured star on the pitch for the remainder of the first half, Sodje added:
​”Yeah, maybe he [the manager] thought Osimhen was going to run it off. He thought he was going to get better because sometimes you don’t want to make decisions too quickly. But I think he was waiting for Osimhen to let him know what he wanted to do. You know, sometimes there are players that you have to allow them to tell you what to do.”
Bayern target Osimhen: What will the Super Eagles star cost the German champions
​”But hey, I don’t think Osimhen’s injury would have changed anything. I think if he were fit, it would have been good for Galatasaray, but I think the way Liverpool played and the atmosphere and what was at stake was bigger. So yeah, let’s not too much dwell on Osimhen’s injury for their defeat. I think Liverpool deserved to win. Maybe not 4-0, but they deserved to win because the pressure was so much.”
​Tempers flare on the pitch
​High tension marred the match early on. Osimhen appeared frustrated by the physical treatment from the Liverpool backline, leading to a heated confrontation with Dominik Szoboszlai. Mario Lemina, a former Fulham midfielder, had to separate the pair, while senior figures like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah also got involved in the fray.
​When asked if he believed Liverpool’s defenders deliberately targeted Osimhen to weaken the Turkish side, Sodje dismissed the notion of foul play.
​”No, no. It’s football, man. I’ve told you before, I’ve luckily played at Anfield. I think playing at Anfield is a test on its own. Yes, they probably picked Osimhen as the marksman, but I don’t think they would definitely go there and get him injured. I think it’s unfortunate that it happened that way, but I still think if Osimhen was 100% fit, I don’t think Galatasaray would have won the game.”
📸 Karşılaşmanın ilk yarısından kareler.#LIVvGS #UCL pic.twitter.com/N6J30AoDgS
— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) March 18, 2026
Dark year for English giants
​With this victory, Liverpool join Arsenal as the only Premier League representatives left in the competition. It has been a humbling round of 16 for English football, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham all suffering premature exits.
​Sodje believes this reflects a shift in European power and the grueling nature of the domestic season.
​”We are so much in love with the Premier League, and that’s why we think something is wrong. I think in the league, Chelsea, and Tottenham, have not been in form. So, going to Europe and not playing to your best is always going to be hard. Two-legged games are always tough.”
​”The Premier League has really brought different clubs to the Champions League for so many years, so maybe this year wasn’t meant to be. But you know, the European clubs have picked up and taken the game to the next level. Maybe because of the competition in England, it has made the clubs really tired and hard to play, but it happens.”
‘A flimsy excuse’ – Onazi hits back at Man United’s Osimhen AFCON claims
​”There are some times where the English teams will go through. Four of them, five of them but this time I think the English teams have to understand that the competition has taken a different turn. The big clubs in Europe are playing really well, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
