In the aftermath of Galatasaray’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool, Victor Osimhen lit the fuse with a candid interview on beIN Sports. The 26-year-old striker, once Napoli’s crown jewel, revealed how years of Serie A battles gave him the blueprint to dismantle a Liverpool defender he branded “predictable” and “outdated.”
“Back in my Napoli days, I faced him many times,” Osimhen said, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I studied his game, knew his habits, and anticipated his every move. He used to be my toughest challenge, but last night I turned it around—using his own patterns against him. He needs to evolve, because the tricks he relies on are stale.”
Though Osimhen withheld the name, all signs pointed to Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch captain has been Liverpool’s defensive anchor since 2018, a £75 million signing who led them to Champions League and Premier League glory. Yet his recent form has wavered, and against Osimhen, the cracks widened.
During their Napoli-Liverpool clashes, Osimhen had already learned Van Dijk’s tendencies—pressing high, stepping out to intercept, but vulnerable when dragged wide or turned. Tuesday’s match confirmed it. In the 16th minute, Osimhen lured Van Dijk out of position, forcing Dominik Szoboszlai’s foul for the decisive penalty, which he buried past Alisson Becker. He went on to win nine of eleven duels against the Dutchman, according to Opta, stripping away the aura of invincibility.
The timing was explosive. Hours after Arne Slot’s dismissal, Osimhen’s critique landed like a hammer blow. Clips of Van Dijk’s struggles went viral, with fan accounts declaring, “Osimhen’s exposed him—those step-ups don’t work anymore.” Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, echoed the sentiment: “Van Dijk’s still world-class, but he hasn’t adapted. Strikers like Osimhen and Haaland thrive on defenders who don’t evolve.”
For Osimhen, the clash carried extra venom. He had once rejected a €120 million Liverpool move, with whispers that Van Dijk’s domineering style was part of the reason. Against Galatasaray, he looked unleashed, scoring his 23rd goal in 29 games while Liverpool’s £204 million forward duo, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, failed to register a shot on target. “I studied him like a book,” Osimhen smirked afterward, cape draped over his shoulders to the roar of 52,000. “He was almighty. Not anymore.”
Liverpool now face a reckoning. Van Dijk’s leadership remains intact on paper—his passing accuracy is near 94%, his clearances among the league’s best—but perception has shifted. Has time finally caught up with their captain? Social media thought so, with #VVDOut trending and rival fans piling in. “Osimhen’s teaching Van Dijk like it’s Napoli 2022,” one Arsenal fan gloated.
Interim coach Sipke Hulshoff has little time to steady the ship, with a daunting trip to Manchester City next. For Liverpool, the question is no longer about the loss in Istanbul—it’s whether their once-untouchable leader can reinvent himself, or risk being left behind in the unforgiving pace of 2025 football.
