Galatasaray thrashed Alanyaspor in the closing game of the 32nd round of the Super League to regain the Turkish top league lead – temporarily lost after Fenerbahçe’s win on Sunday –and maintain it two-point advantage over İsmail Kartal’s team.
The Lions struggled to get off and let a goalless first half elapse at the Bahçeşehir Okulları Arena in Alanya, unleashing nervousness among Galata fans who knew their team needed a win. But that nervousness was also clearly felt in the Alanyaspor ranks, to the extent that their coach, former Turkish footballer Fatih Tekke, was sent off by the referee with a straight red card after 18 minutes for berating the linesman. A harsh sanction from the referee, who seems to have wanted to make a clear warning after recent episodes of aggression against referees in the Turkish league. Shortly afterwards, a goal by Bardakcı for Galatasaray was disallowed for an alleged foul.
After the break, however, it was in the second half that Galatasaray seemed to rise from the dead, making it clear why they hold the Süper Lig throne with 28 wins in 32 games. It was Barış Alper Yılmaz who opened the floodgates after 56 minutes with a beautifully struck goal that Alanyaspor goalkeeper Ertuğrul Taşkıran did not even see coming. Only moments later, Barış himself missed another chance under the sticks, barely believing it; but five minutes later, Moroccan-born Dutch striker Hakim Ziyech again thwarted Taşkıran with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box.
As if things were not already difficult for Alanyaspor, a few minutes later another Dutchman, Leroy Fer but in the ranks of Alanyaspor, was shown a second yellow card and the home team was left with one player less. After 72 minutes, Barış Alper scored again to make it 0-3 with a shot almost identical to the first goal, in what the commentator himself described as “déjà vu”. Seven minutes before the final whistle, the Argentine striker Mauro Icardi put the finishing touch on a cross into the six-yard box to make it 0-4.
The win over Alanyaspor means Galatasaray remains top of the Turkish league with just six games to go, with Fenerbahçe, in the middle of a dispute with the TFF, just two points behind; and neither side seems willing to relent in the tense battle for the lead that has been going on for months. A slip-up by either team, even a simple draw, could put an end to the dreams of either fan base. It is expected to be a thrilling end of the Super League.
Results of the 32nd round of the Super League
TRABZONSPOR A.Ş. 0 – 1 EMS YAPI SİVASSPOR
KASIMPAŞA A.Ş. 0 – 2 TÜMOSAN KONYASPOR
MKE ANKARAGÜCÜ 3 – 1 GAZİANTEP FUTBOL KULÜBÜ A.Ş.
YUKATEL ADANA DEMİRSPOR A.Ş. 0 – 0 MONDİHOME KAYSERİSPOR
BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş. 1 – 1 YILPORT SAMSUNSPOR
SİLTAŞ YAPI PENDİKSPOR FUTBOL A.Ş. 2 – 3 RAMS BAŞAKŞEHİR FUTBOL KULÜBÜ
ATAKAŞ HATAYSPOR 0 – 3 İSTANBULSPOR A.Ş.
ÇAYKUR RİZESPOR A.Ş. 3 – 0 BITEXEN ANTALYASPOR
VAVACARS FATİH KARAGÜMRÜK 1 – 2 FENERBAHÇE A.Ş.
CORENDON ALANYASPOR 0 – 4 GALATASARAY A.Ş.
Turkish league: standings
| | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1.GALATASARAY A.Ş. | 32 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 73 | 20 | 53 | 87 |
| 2.FENERBAHÇE A.Ş. | 32 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 85 | 28 | 57 | 85 |
| 3.TRABZONSPOR A.Ş. | 32 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 54 | 42 | 12 | 52 |
| 4.BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş. | 32 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 42 | 38 | 4 | 48 |
| 5.ÇAYKUR RİZESPOR A.Ş. | 32 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 43 | 47 | -4 | 48 |
| 6.RAMS BAŞAKŞEHİR FUTBOL KULÜBÜ | 32 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 42 | 38 | 4 | 46 |
| 7.KASIMPAŞA A.Ş. | 32 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 55 | 57 | -2 | 46 |
| 8.EMS YAPI SİVASSPOR | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 38 | 43 | -5 | 44 |
| 9.BITEXEN ANTALYASPOR | 32 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 42 |
| 10.CORENDON ALANYASPOR | 32 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 41 | 46 | -5 | 42 |
| 11.YUKATEL ADANA DEMİRSPOR A.Ş. | 32 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 48 | 43 | 5 | 40 |
| 12.YILPORT SAMSUNSPOR | 32 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 36 | 42 | -6 | 38 |
| 13.MKE ANKARAGÜCÜ | 32 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 40 | 41 | -1 | 37 |
| 14.MONDİHOME KAYSERİSPOR | 32 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 36 | 45 | -9 | 37 |
| 15.TÜMOSAN KONYASPOR | 32 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 34 | 45 | -11 | 36 |
| 16.ATAKAŞ HATAYSPOR | 32 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 36 | 44 | -8 | 33 |
| 17.GAZİANTEP FUTBOL KULÜBÜ A.Ş. | 32 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 31 |
| 18.VAVACARS FATİH KARAGÜMRÜK | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 35 | 41 | -6 | 30 |
| 19.SİLTAŞ YAPI PENDİKSPOR FUTBOL A.Ş. | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 36 | 64 | -28 | 30 |
| 20.İSTANBULSPOR A.Ş. | 32 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 25 | 59 | -34 | 16 |
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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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