Galatasaray beat Fenerbahçe 2-1 as Osimhen decides the derby

Osimhen made the difference in the first half

Galatasaray threatened through Barış Alper Yılmaz in the opening stages. After reaching the byline from Jakobs’ pass, Barış Alper had his angled shot saved by Ederson. Another effort from the same player, struck from the edge of the penalty arc, was also held by the Fenerbahçe goalkeeper.

During one Fenerbahçe attack, Davinson Sanchez reached Kante’s ball across from the right before Lukaku could connect. The ball struck the post and went out for a corner. Oğuz Aydın then sent a free kick from the left over the bar as he aimed towards the far corner.

Galatasaray took the lead in the 29th minute. Osimhen met Barış Alper’s pass behind the defence and scored with a first-time finish. The striker later broke behind the defence again from Batrakov’s pass, but Ederson tipped his angled shot behind for a corner.

The second goal came shortly before the break. Ederson punched away Jakobs’ long throw, and Davinson followed up with a shot from outside the penalty area. As the ball bounced up off the turf, Osimhen headed it in. Galatasaray doubled their lead in the 44th minute and went into half-time 2-0 ahead.

İrfan Can narrowed the gap before Lemina cleared off the line

Both teams had chances to score in the second half. Batrakov latched on to Osimhen’s pass behind the defence, but his shot deflected off Skriniar and went narrowly behind for a corner. For Fenerbahçe, Lukaku was sent through one-on-one by Greenwood’s through ball but could not beat Uğurcan Çakır.

In another Galatasaray attack, Jakobs rose to meet Sallai’s cross at the far post and hit the woodwork. Barış Alper collected the loose ball but shot wide from the edge of the penalty area. After that opportunity, Fenerbahçe made it 2-1 in the 62nd minute.

In the build-up to the goal, Oğuz Aydın knocked down Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s ball into the penalty area for İrfan Can Kahveci. İrfan Can controlled it on his chest before beating Uğurcan with an overhead kick. Fenerbahçe had cut the two-goal first-half deficit to one.

Galatasaray’s players appealed for a penalty in the 67th minute after Batrakov went down following a challenge with Guendouzi. Referee Atilla Karaoğlan allowed play to continue, and VAR did not recommend a review. Play went on without a penalty being awarded.

Later, Torreira fired wide from close range after a corner fell to him near the goal area. Ederson then used his fingertips to keep out a long-range shot from Rafael Leao, who had replaced Barış Alper.

During a significant chance for Fenerbahçe to equalise, Skriniar headed Mert Hakan’s free kick towards goal. Mario Lemina intervened on the line to keep it out. Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time also went wide, and the match ended in a 2-1 Galatasaray victory.

What did the coaches emphasise before the match?

Before the game, Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk stressed the derby’s importance but said it should not be viewed as a title-deciding match on its own. He wanted his team to show their desire to win alongside their supporters, while also emphasising the need to stay calm and focus solely on football.

Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal said his team’s game plan was built around winning. He added that, if they could not win, they wanted at least to return without losing. The result prevented Fenerbahçe from achieving those aims, as Galatasaray held on to the advantage they had established in the first half.