Victor Osimhen leads Galatasaray to action-packed victory as Spurs see red | Europa League

This was the kind of breathless, wild encounter that both Galatasaray and Tottenham deal with routinely, the only surprise being a goal tally that did no justice to a game whose openness beggared belief. In reality, Spurs should have been blown apart by hosts who had no idea how to apply the handbrake and had conceded 28 shots by the end. A stunner from Yunus Akgun and two goals from Victor Osimhen, who had countless other chances, completed their tally at the break, but somehow Ange Postecoglou’s side stayed in with a sniff until proceedings were concluded.

That was partly down to a first senior goal for 19-year-old Will Lankshear, who celebrated in front of a relaxed home support but was chastised on the hour with a second yellow card. Dominic Solanke offered an unlikely lifeline later on and although there was no equaliser, this defeat should have little impact on Tottenham’s chances of reaching the knockout stage.

The chances of a quiet affair had been slim to begin with, and that was before anyone considered an atmosphere which, as Postecoglou had acknowledged, was of the type you play football for. Galatasaray have scored almost three a game in a row at the top of their domestic league and defeated Elfsborg 4-3 in their previous European match here. The who’s who of attacking talent on show was eye-catching, and if Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens carry hints of late career, Osimhen’s summer arrival means they can field one of the best centre-forwards around.

All were temporarily overshadowed within five minutes by Akgun, who was loaned out to Leicester last season. It was a lavish strike; a masterful display of technique that was all the more impressive when Archie Gray appeared to have done enough to head Gabriel Sara’s free-kick. Akgun ran around the ball as it bounced up beyond the D, connected perfectly and sent it roaring into Fraser Forster’s top left corner.

Then, in a moment the youngster will cherish, the hosts’ stars were eclipsed by Lankshear. It looked like they would turn the screw, Forster clearing ahead of Osimhen and Akgun who shot wildly as they attempted a repeat but were clinically picked apart in two laps. One of them was clipped diagonally by Gray into the path of Brennan Johnson; the next was a volley which Lankshear, showing a goalscoring instinct, tapped in from close range.

Spurs managed without seven absentees, and having Mikey Moore, the young winger, miss out through illness had hurt Postecoglou’s rotation options. Lankshear justified the decision to rest Solanke, but they had been swamped until then and Galatasaray soon resumed their attack.

Forster denied Osimhen a clean through as Mertens blasted the rebound wide, and was lucky to see the Nigerian get a goal chalked off. But Spurs could hardly be accused of making their own luck and were undone again on the half-hour, Radu Dragusin getting his shape wrong when he received a routine pass from Ben Davies and allowed Icardi to nick the ball away. It rolled to Mertens, who slotted Osimhen in for a toe-to-toe finish across Forster, sparking pandemonium again.

Osimhen saw the white in Forster’s eyes again, but made another commendable stop. It was becoming a personal battle and almost immediately he struck another blow. Mertens’ right-wing cross was whipped in perfectly and at waist height Osimhen smothered a brilliant finish into the far corner to leave Tottenham begging for the break.

How to stem the tide while saving legs? Postecoglou’s response was to introduce Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski for Johnson and a marginal son Heung-min, but the pattern continued. Osimhen missed a free header that in another dimension could have brought his sixth goal of the game. A fumble by Forster caused a scramble near the line and then Akgun, taking aim again, saw a volley deflected just wide. In the 57th minute, Osimhen looked set to complete his hat-trick at last but Forster, diving the other way, denied with a back foot.

The barrage was constant; appetite on Galarasaray’s part to sit back insignificant. When Lankshear got another sniff, he couldn’t connect sufficiently and the underemployed Fernando Muslera made an easy save.

If that was proof to Lankshear that not everything will come easy, it had nothing on what followed. He had already been booked and then, perhaps in frustration at being evicted almost halfway, pounced on Sara and gave the umpire, Lawrence Visser, the simplest of calls.

Forster made quick flying saves from Bari’s Alper Yilmaz and Akgun. Tottenham had been peppered and it seemed almost farcical when the newly introduced Solanke, sweetly backing a center from Pedro Porro, offered hope. It came to nothing, Kulusevski failed to catch Muslera in added time, but the evening’s entertainment had been plenty.