Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen’s goal was not enough to advance Galatasary to the round 16 of the Europa League on Thursday.
The defeat marked another disappointing chapter for Nigerian footballers in European competitions, following Lookman’s exit with Atalanta just 24 hours earlier.
Osimhen, who missed the first leg due to suspension, was eager to make an impact in the second leg at Rams Park.
Despite his efforts and Galatasaray’s desperation to overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg, it was the youthful AZ Alkmaar squad that dominated the match.
The visitors, boasting an average age of 23.2 compared to Galatasaray’s experienced lineup averaging 28.3, stunned the home fans with two goals in each half.
AZ Alkmaar’s Seiya Maikuma opened the scoring just before halftime, capitalising on a fortunate bounce after Galatasaray attempted to clear the ball.
