Galatasaray hosted Fenerbahçe at RAMS Park on Monday in the closing fixture of the Trendyol Süper Lig's ninth week, with Hürriyet providing live coverage of the match. Victor Osimhen scored twice for the home side, and Fenerbahçe replied through an overhead kick from İrfan Can Kahveci. Referee Atilla Karaoğlan started the game after Fenerbahçe took the opening kick-off.
Why it matters
The result carries weight beyond the rivalry. Okan Buruk said before kick-off that this was not a title-deciding fixture but still a very important one, describing it as a meeting between two clubs that have competed against each other for the past four seasons. He noted that four teams are involved in this year's championship race and that winning every week brings an advantage. Buruk also said his squad had prepared thoroughly, studying and re-analysing an opponent they already know well, and that they wanted to show their hunger in front of their own supporters while staying calm and keeping their focus on the game itself.
Tension early and Osimhen's opener
The match began with a flashpoint. According to Hürriyet, a brief confrontation between Romelu Lukaku and Abdülkerim Bardakcı took place in Galatasaray's half right after the first whistle, and it was defused by the officials and other players before it escalated.
The first booking went to İrfan Can Kahveci in the 10th minute for pulling Jakobs down by the shoulder. Milan Skriniar followed him into the book two minutes later after bringing down Barış Alper Yılmaz as the winger looked to break into the box from the right.
Galatasaray won a free kick in a shooting position when Skriniar fouled Batrakov, but Sallai's effort struck Brown in the wall and went behind for a corner. Barış Alper then came close twice: first he reached the byline from a Jakobs through ball and could not beat Ederson from an angle, then he shot from the edge of the area without troubling the goalkeeper.
Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 29th minute. Released behind the defence by a Barış Alper pass, he struck first time and found the net to make it 1-0.
Fenerbahçe's clearest chance of the half fell to Lukaku. Sent through by a Greenwood pass, he came face to face with Uğurcan Çakır and could not get past him. At the other end, Davinson Sanchez made a vital intervention ahead of Lukaku on a Kante ball pulled back from the right, with the ball hitting the post and going out for a corner. Oğuz Aydın also sent a free-kick attempt from the left diagonal narrowly over the bar.
N'Golo Kante was booked in the 31st minute for bringing down Batrakov as the midfielder prepared to launch a counter-attack.
Second goal and a disallowed appeal
Osimhen doubled the lead in the44th minute. After Ederson punched clear a long Jakobs throw-in, Davinson struck from outside the box; the ball bounced up off the ground and Osimhen headed it into the net to make it 2-0.
Before that, Osimhen had nearly added a second earlier in the half, only for Ederson to tip his angled strike from a Batrakov pass around the post. Buruk was shown a yellow card after sustained protests, and Galatasaray's football first-team administrative director Uğur Yıldız was also booked.
After the restart, Batrakov met an Osimhen pass behind the defence and his shot deflected off Skriniar and went narrowly wide for a corner. Nelson Semedo was cautioned in the 54th minute for a foul on Osimhen.
Galatasaray appealed for a penalty in the 67th minute when Batrakov went down on the spot following a challenge with Guendouzi. Hürriyet reports that referee Karaoğlan waved the appeals away and that no VAR review was recommended, so play continued.
Fenerbahçe made changes, withdrawing Greenwood and Levent Mercan for Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Oppong. Brown moved to left-back, Oğuz Aydın shifted to the right of the attack, Oppong took a centre-back position and Kerem was placed on the left.
Galatasaray had further chances. Jakobs rose well to meet a Sallai cross towards the far post but could not beat the post, and Barış Alper sent the loose ball over from the edge of the area. Torreira then missed a clear opening, side-footing wide from close range after a Batrakov corner dropped to him unmarked in front of goal.
Fenerbahçe pull one back
Fenerbahçe reduced the deficit through İrfan Can. Kerem Aktürkoğlu delivered a ball into the box, Oğuz Aydın laid it off, and İrfan Can controlled it on his chest before beating Uğurcan with an overhead kick.
Rafael Leao, who had come on for Barış Alper, tested Ederson from distance late on, but the goalkeeper pushed the bouncing ball around the post with his fingertips.
Hürriyet's live coverage also highlighted Osimhen's influence on the first half, describing the striker as the defining figure of the opening period. Buruk had said beforehand that his team had taken confidence from a result in Europe and wanted to carry that self-belief into the derby.
The closing stages at RAMS Park will decide whether Galatasaray hold on to the win or Fenerbahçe complete the comeback, with the remaining minutes of the ninth-week fixture the immediate focus.
