Galatasaray has seen its triumphant march toward the Turkish league title halted after suffering a crushing defeat — the same it handed Fenerbahçe in the derby the previous matchday — and a real reality check at Samsun’s 19 May Stadium, where, despite the visitors striking first, Samsunspor staged a resounding comeback that has fully reignited the race for the Süper Lig.
The match that was supposed to bring the current leader of the Turkish league closer to the glory of being crowned champion for the fourth consecutive time ultimately turned, almost by surprise, into a night to forget. The match began at a thrilling pace, with the Lions staking their claim early on: nine minutes into the game, Yunus Akgün opened the scoring after a solo run down the right flank from midfield, finishing with a curling shot from the edge of the box that was unstoppable for Okan Kocuk. A true stunner.
However, the team from the Black Sea coast reacted well and did not let themselves be intimidated by the league leaders; in the 22nd minute, Marius Mouandilmadji equalized with a shot from outside the box, capitalizing on poor marking by the Galatasaray defenders, sparking euphoria in a packed 19 May Stadium.
After halftime, the match took a dramatic turn when, in the 57th minute, Cherif Ndiaye turned the score around by collecting a ball in the box and firing a right-footed shot that left Galatasaray goalkeeper Günay Güvenç stunned. Just a minute earlier, Osimhen had had a golden opportunity to score but his shot went wide by inches; and in the 60th minute, Leroy Sané fired another shot that hit the post… It certainly wasn’t Okan Buruk’s team’s night.
Güvenç’s sending-off changed everything
With nerves and the pressure to win taking hold of the Galatasaray ranks, in the 62nd minute none other than Güvenç — the Istanbul team’s goalkeeper — was shown a red card after referee Reşat Onur Coşkunses penalized a brutal tackle he made on Mouandilmadji as the Chadian striker was heading alone toward the goal. Buruk had to replace him in goal with Batuhan Ahmet Şen and take a player off the field, with Leroy Sané being the one chosen.
If Galatasaray had already been overwhelmed by what was happening on the field up to that point, being down a man made things even worse. In the 70th minute, Mouandilmadji reappeared to shoot from inside the box and score the 3-1; the Chadian’s shot was clumsy and poorly executed, but neither the defense nor the newly substituted Ahmet Şen did anything to stop a shot that, under normal circumstances, would have posed no danger to Galatasaray’s goal.
A true league champion, counting down the minutes
The final minutes of the match revealed a team that did not look like the leader of the Süper Lig. With their ranks overwhelmed and demoralized, the Istanbul side was simply looking for that nightmare to end as soon as possible. In the 82nd minute came the fourth goal of the night for the home team; not even a 4-on-2 marking situation could prevent Carlo Holse from receiving the ball and breaking into the box: Elayis Tavşan collected the ball, but his powerful shot was masterfully saved — this time — by Ahmet Şen; however, the rebound was picked up by the alert Cherif Ndiaye, who simply had to tap the ball into the net from close range to set the final score at 4-1.
Galatasaray fell… But Fenerbahce delivered
As the match neared its end, Tavşan once again saw the opposing goalkeeper as his worst nightmare when the keeper made another spectacular save on a shot that looked like it would be Samsunspor’s fifth goal. But it wasn’t needed. Samsun’s dominance on the field throughout the second half belonged to a team that knew how to stand up to a theoretically stronger opponent, and that ended up running roughshod over the reigning league champions.
For Galatasaray to be crowned champions this matchday, they had to beat Samsunspor — and ended up losing — and Fenerbahçe had to lose at home to Başakşehir… And ended up winning. The Yellow Canaries, despite the coaching change following the recent firing of Domenico Tedesco, won decisively thanks to a memorable night by Talisca, who scored a hat trick all on his own. Fenerbahçe thus closes the gap and is now just 4 points behind Galatasaray with two matchdays remaining, leaving the Turkish Super League red-hot.
Match stats
| SAMSUNSPOR | GALATASARAY | |
|---|---|---|
| Total shots | 12 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 7 | 3 |
| Possession | 55% | 45% |
| Fouls | 15 | 15 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
| Offsides | 7 | 1 |
| Corners | 3 | 6 |
Results of the 32nd round of the Super League
Turkish league: standings
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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