26.11.2025 10:50
Nihat Kahveci harshly criticized Galatasaray's performance against Union SG, stating that İlkay Gündoğan played one of the worst matches of his career. Kahveci pointed out that the absence of Osimhen had undermined the team's structure and expressed that referee mistakes also affected the match.
After the Champions League match where Galatasaray lost 1-0 to Union Saint-Gilloise at home, commentator Nihat Kahveci evaluated the performance of the yellow-red team and especially the decline of some stars. Kahveci stated that Union SG played their best game in the Champions League and said that Galatasaray appeared distant from their aggressive style.
"I DID NOT EXPECT SUCH A POOR PERFORMANCE FROM GALATASARAY"
Analyzing the match, Kahveci emphasized that Union SG played more compact and disciplined throughout the game:
"USG showcased their best performance in the Champions League this season. Galatasaray was caught between pressing and retreating. The aggressive Galatasaray we know was not there."
HEAVY CRITICISM OF ILKAY GÜNDOĞAN: "IT WAS HIS WORST MATCH"
The harshest remarks for the star player of the yellow-reds, İlkay Gündoğan, also came from Nihat Kahveci:
"He probably played one of the worst matches of his career. I can't remember a match where he lost this many balls. He may have excuses, but his performance was very low."
Kahveci also emphasized that the absence of Osimhen seriously affected Galatasaray.
"OSIMHEN IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE TEAM"
Kahveci stated that the absence of the Nigerian star changed the fate of the game:
"Osimhen is more than just a player. He is half of Galatasaray's game structure. Icardi has a different profile; he is not someone who creates his own position. If Osimhen had been there, it could have been a very different match."
"GALATASARAY CROSSED THE OCEAN BUT DROWNED IN THE POND"
Pointing out the combination of poor performance, injuries, and absences, Kahveci made a striking analogy:
"You can't get points in the Champions League by playing this poorly. Galatasaray crossed the ocean but drowned in the water of the bucket."
REFEREE CRITICISM: "PROMISE SHOULD HAVE SEEN RED"
Kahveci also provided a striking detail regarding the match referee:
"The incident where Promise stepped on Uğurcan's foot was a second yellow card. He didn't see it. VAR cannot intervene. If they had remained with 10 players, the match would have gone differently."