How Osimhen Became the Only Player to Hit 20+ Shots on Target in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League

Victor Osimhen stood out in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League campaign, becoming the only player to reach the milestone of 20 shots on target (SoT), according to Opta. The Nigerian forward ended the tournament with an impressive 22 SoT—more than any other player in the competition.

Osimhen, playing for Galatasaray, got off to a strong start. In his very first UEL outing of the season against PAOK on September 25, he managed two SoT within the first 26 minutes. He added another in the 63rd minute, but both efforts were denied by the goalkeeper. He maintained his consistency by producing two more SoT in Galatasaray’s next fixture against Elfsborg roughly a month later.

His breakthrough came on November 7 in a high-stakes clash against Tottenham. He found the net in the 32nd minute, combining with Dries Mertens to extend Galatasaray’s lead. Later in the same game, the 2023 African Footballer of the Year struck again with a brilliant volley. It’s noteworthy that Osimhen managed five shots on target in that match—more than the entire Spurs squad, who had just three.

From there, his momentum continued. He recorded three SoT in each of his next three Europa League matches, finding the back of the net once in each game. His ability to consistently test opposing goalkeepers made him a constant threat.

In Galatasaray’s knockout playoff against AZ Alkmaar, Osimhen delivered another standout performance with four shots on target. The first came in the 20th minute when he connected with a cross and aimed a powerful header at goal, only for Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro to make the save. However, Osimhen wasn’t done yet—his final attempt of the match brought Galatasaray level, earning them a crucial equalizer and rounding off his SoT tally at 22.

Closest to Osimhen in this stat were Václav Černý (Rangers) with 15 SoT, followed by Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahçe) and Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), who each registered 14.