Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray’s Nigerian striker, returns to Pierre-Mauroy and his former club, Lille, this Wednesday for a duel between two struggling sides, neither of whom have yet picked up a single point in this league phase.
Lille and Galatasaray have no time to lick their wounds. Matchday three of the Champions League league phase, this Wednesday 21 October 2026, kick-off at 18:45 at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium (Decathlon Arena). According to BeFoot, both teams have two defeats from as many games and zero points on the board.
Victor Osimhen, named to start up front by BeFoot, faces his former club in a competitive match for the first time — the club where he shone before his record transfer.
A heavy points deficit already
The standings tell the same story as the results: Lille sit 34th and Galatasaray 35th in the league phase, according to SportyTrader. Both clubs have suffered two defeats in a row. Galatasaray lost 3-1 to Sporting CP, then 4-1 at home to Barcelona. Lille were beaten 3-2 by Real Betis at home, then 3-0 on Arsenal’s turf, BeFoot reports.
In a format where every point counts, a third defeat would carry heavy consequences. Both teams therefore come into this meeting with the same record. Galatasaray, however, arrive on the back of a 1-0 win over Gençlerbirliği in the Süper Lig last weekend, Daily Sabah reports.
Leão out, Osimhen up front
Okan Buruk, Galatasaray’s head coach, must make do without striker Rafael Leão, ruled out with a muscle tear to the adductors sustained against Gençlerbirliği, according to Daily Sabah. In the league this season, Osimhen has 6 goals and 3 assists for Galatasaray, according to Sporting Tribune. A Nigeria international, he is at the heart of the Istanbul side’s attack.
The memory he left at Lille remains vivid: in the 2019-2020 season, Osimhen scored 18 goals in 38 matches before a record transfer, Sporting Tribune recalls. Lille, for their part, know what to expect. “It’s always difficult against Osimhen. I’ve already played a friendly against him. Tomorrow is going to be war. It’s going to be beautiful too,” centre-back Alexsandro told Upday News.
Davide Ancelotti, LOSC’s assistant coach, and Alexsandro both warned that containing the striker would require extreme team discipline, according to Legit.ng.
A return steeped in history
Beyond Osimhen’s return, this clash has a special flavour for Lille’s supporters. The match will be refereed by Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovic and broadcast in France on Canal+ Foot, Daily Sabah specifies.
It remains to be seen what the exact line-ups will be: Osimhen’s starting place is for now only a probable line-up revealed by BeFoot, not an official announcement.