After completing a transfer from Wolves in the January window, Mario Lemina made his debut for Galatasaray.
Having started the season as Wolves captain and having collected the 2023/24 Player of the Season award, very few would’ve predicted Lemina’s ugly exit just months later.
Things went downhill for the Gabon international, who after a bust-up at the London Stadium, lost captaincy.
After Vitor Pereira’s arrival, the new Wolves manager revealed that Lemina had refused to play, with the midfielder now making his return to action in Turkey.
Turkish media react to Mario Lemina’s debut for Galatasaray
Lemina announced his Wolves exit before the club did, as the 31-year-old returned to Galatasaray following a loan spell in Istanbul during his time at Southampton.
On Monday night, Turkish fans were able to catch their first glimpse of Lemina on his return to the club, where he impressed.
After coming off the bench on the hour mark, the former Wolves skipper had an impressive influence on the game, assisting Victor Osimhen’s 87th minute match-winner, earning him rave reviews.
Fanatik lauded Lemina’s ‘magnificent’ contribution to the game when describing Osimhen’s late winner.
“Mario Lemina, who tried to gather the midfield during his time in the game, made the assist for Osimhen’s second goal with a header in the penalty area and signed a magnificent goal.”
Similar praise came from Yozgat Merhaba, who relayed that the midfielder had ‘received positive feedback’ for his dribbling and his assist.
Fotomac stated that Lemina ‘left no stone unturned’ in the attacking area of midfield, bringing some calm to his teammates.
The same outlet also relayed comments from Rizespor manager Ilhan Palut, who admitted his team found it difficult to cope when Lemina was introduced.
“We made it 1-1 without taking a step back. Galatasaray had a hard time losing the ball when Lemina came to the midfield and Sara took the lead. This pushed us back a bit,” the opposition manager said.
Mario Lemina’s stats on Galatasaray debut
Lemina earned positive reviews, which despite him leaving Wolves on bad terms, isn’t surprising given the quality that the midfielder possesses.
| Mario Lemina vs Rizespor |
| 30 minutes played |
| 1 assist |
| 2 key passes |
| 100% long balls completed |
| 3 duels won |
| 1 interception |
| 1 tackle |
As seen above, the Gabon international had a significant impact going forward, registering two key passes, one of which carving out the winning goal.
Galatasaray fans were frustrated to see the former Wolves skipper on the bench to start however, such might change in the near future following his statement debut.
After weeks out of action, Lemina returned with a bang, impressing those at his new home in Istanbul.