Galatasaray beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 for a second straight Champions League league phase win as Victor Osimhen struck twice and Yunus Akgun added a third, while Athletic Bilbao ended Qarabag’s unbeaten run 3-1 with a Guruzeta brace and a Robert Navarro strike. Implications for seeding and momentum shape the next fixtures.
Galatasaray made it two wins from three in the Champions League league phase with a controlled 3-1 victory over Bodo/Glimt in Istanbul, a result that keeps the Turkish champions firmly on track in a crowded mid table pack.
The night also brought a twist elsewhere, where Athletic Bilbao handed Qarabag their first defeat of the campaign by the same 3-1 scoreline in the Basque Country. Taken together, the outcomes reshaped the early dynamics of the new format, where every point influences seeding and knockout paths.
In Istanbul, the tone was set almost immediately. Galatasaray pressed high from the first whistle and were rewarded inside three minutes when Victor Osimhen pounced. The Nigerian striker attacked the space behind the visiting back line and finished with authority after a rapid transition through the middle. That early punch forced Bodo/Glimt to step higher with their fullbacks, which in turn opened channels for Galatasaray to target on the break. The hosts were happy to drop into a compact block without the ball, then spring forward at pace whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Osimhen doubled the lead just after the half hour. A misplaced pass across the Bodo/Glimt back line invited pressure, and Galatasaray swarmed the passing lane. One quick interception and a diagonal feed later, Osimhen was in again. The finish was clinical and punished what could only be described as a gift from the Norwegian defense. That second goal shifted the match into a pattern Galatasaray preferred. With a cushion on the scoreboard, they could manage tempo, choose when to contest second balls, and avoid unnecessary risk in build up.
After the interval, the hosts continued to pick their moments without overextending. On the hour mark Yunus Akgun added the third, arriving into the box at just the right angle to meet a pullback from the right. It was a move that highlighted Galatasaray’s structure in the final third. The fullback overlap dragged a defender wide, the winger cut inside to occupy the half space, and the late run from Akgun found the seam. The sequence underlined the balance in the side. There was a clear reference point up front, width to stretch the field, and midfielders ready to support with late entries.
Bodo/Glimt kept looking for a response and avoided leaving empty handed when Helmersen pulled one back on 76 minutes. The visitors deserve credit for maintaining ambition, moving the ball quickly through midfield and circulating to the far side to unbalance the defensive line. The goal added some late tension but did not change the broader picture. Galatasaray managed the remaining minutes well, choosing simple passes, using the corners intelligently, and resetting shape whenever possession was lost.
From a standings perspective, the three points lift Galatasaray to six from three matches and a provisional eleventh place in the league table. In the new format, that slot matters because it can influence whether a side faces an easier route in the knockout access round. Goal difference is a secondary boost. Scoring three while conceding only one strengthens tiebreakers that often come into play as the table compresses later in the phase.
Individually, Osimhen’s brace will dominate the headlines for obvious reasons. His movement off the last shoulder created constant stress, and his finishing gave the performance a ruthless edge. Akgun’s contribution was also significant. He provided a steady outlet wide and the timing of his run for the third goal reflected good understanding of space. The midfield pair were efficient in screening. Their work off the ball limited Bodo/Glimt’s central combinations and forced much of the attacking play into less dangerous wide areas.
In the Basque Country, Qarabag experienced a very different evening. Leandro Andrade shocked the home crowd inside the opening seconds, capitalizing on a loose sequence near midfield to race through and score. The goal played into Qarabag’s strengths. They are at their best when they can compress space, protect central channels, and strike in transition. For a stretch of the first half that plan looked viable. Athletic had the ball but struggled to turn possession into clear chances.
The match turned on two moments of precision from Gorka Guruzeta, who equalized before the break with a sharp finish on 40 minutes and later put the result beyond doubt near the end on 88. In between, Robert Navarro added a composed strike on 70 minutes to complete the comeback. Athletic increased the tempo after halftime, rotated their midfield to draw Qarabag out of shape, and committed numbers into the box more consistently. The pressure eventually told. When the lines stretch, rotations have to be perfect. Qarabag left small gaps between the back line and the midfield screen, and Athletic exploited those channels with late runs and quick wall passes around the edge of the area.
The defeat ends Qarabag’s unbeaten start in this league phase, which had included a headline win away at Benfica and a solid home victory over Copenhagen. The loss does not erase that strong platform. Qarabag remain on six points and sit tenth for now, but it does sharpen the margin for error moving forward. They will need to manage the next fixtures carefully, especially the away dates, where game states can swing quickly under the new single table demands.
For Athletic, the first win carries weight beyond the immediate three points. Confidence had been building in performances without full reward. Breaking through against a well drilled Qarabag side validates the approach and puts them into twenty first place with clear upward mobility. The run in will test squad depth and set piece consistency, both of which improved on this night.
Looking ahead, both matches offered instructive lessons. Galatasaray showed a template for controlling risk while still carrying threat. Quick vertical passes, disciplined spacing between the lines, and the willingness to reset when pressured are qualities that will continue to serve them well. Bodo/Glimt will review the defensive mistakes that turned manageable moments into goals against, but they also demonstrated that they can create in wide overloads and late box entries.
Qarabag’s staff will focus on restoring the compactness that anchored their early successes. The first goal for Athletic arrived at a moment when the back foot had already started to slide, and the final stages revealed fatigue in recovery runs. Athletic, for their part, can build on the rhythm they found after halftime. The front line’s movement improved, midfielders arrived from deeper zones at the right times, and the final pass became more precise as the match wore on.
