Özkök Warns Buruk Over Osimhen’s Six Offside Calls as Galatasaray Suffer Barcelona Defeat

Turkish football commentator Hüseyin Özkök has urged Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk to address Victor Osimhen’s offside problems after the Nigerian striker was caught offside six times in the Turkish champions’ 4–1 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

Özkök’s criticism followed Galatasaray’s disappointing home performance against the Spanish giants at Rams Park on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure a convincing victory, leaving Osimhen and his teammates facing questions over their attacking effectiveness and defensive organisation.

Speaking on Turkish sports television channel A Spor, Özkök highlighted the frequency with which Osimhen strayed beyond Barcelona’s defensive line, arguing that the issue required Buruk’s immediate attention.

“Out of Galatasaray’s eight offsides, six belong to Osimhen. Okan Buruk must definitely solve Osimhen’s offside problem,” Özkök said.

The statistics underlined Barcelona’s success in neutralising one of Galatasaray’s most dangerous attacking players. By maintaining a disciplined defensive line and coordinating their movements effectively, the visitors repeatedly caught Osimhen in offside positions, disrupting his attempts to exploit spaces behind the defence.

Barcelona’s defensive strategy also limited the Nigerian international’s involvement in open play. Osimhen recorded only 12 touches, attempted three passes and completed two, while managing one shot that went wide. He also won three of nine contested duels and lost possession six times, according to match statistics reported after the encounter.

Despite the eventual defeat, Galatasaray initially threatened to make the evening difficult for Barcelona. Aleksey Batrakov put the hosts ahead in the 28th minute, raising hopes of a positive result before the visitors gradually took control of the contest. Galatasaray also thought they had extended their advantage, but a goal involving Barış Alper Yılmaz was disallowed following a video assistant referee review for offside.

Barcelona restored parity through João Cancelo shortly before the interval, before taking command in the second half. Fermín López scored in the 50th minute, Anthony Gordon added another three minutes later, and Karim Adeyemi completed the scoring in the 65th minute to seal a 4–1 victory for the visitors.

For Osimhen, the match represented an unusually frustrating outing. The striker, whose pace, physical strength and movement have made him a major attacking threat, struggled to find room against Barcelona’s defensive setup. The repeated offside decisions prevented him from consistently turning his runs into meaningful goalscoring opportunities.

The defeat also raised concerns about Galatasaray’s ability to compete against elite European opposition when their primary attacking outlet is effectively contained. While Osimhen’s positioning attracted particular scrutiny, the broader challenge for Buruk will be to improve the timing of attacking runs and the coordination between the forward and his teammates, especially against opponents who deploy a high defensive line.

Özkök’s intervention places renewed attention on the tactical adjustments required from the Galatasaray manager as the Champions League campaign progresses. Osimhen remains a significant asset for the Turkish club, but the Barcelona encounter demonstrated how quickly an opponent can limit his influence through disciplined defensive organisation. Galatasaray will need a stronger collective response in their next European fixture if they are to recover from the setback.