Galatasaray wins to inch closer to league title

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray beat Akhisarspor 2-1 on May 6 night, extending its stay atop the Spor Toto Super League standings and winning a huge advantage in the title race.

With just two more games to go, the Istanbul club leads the league with 69 points, three ahead of city rivals Fenerbahçe and Başakşehir, which are separated by goal difference.

In week 32 games, Fenerbahçe won 2-1 against nine-man Bursaspor on May 7 with a last minute goal, while Başakşehir was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Sivasspor on May 5.

Galatasaray made a quick start to the game in Akhisar, with midfielder Garry Rodrigues scoring back-to-back goals in the 15th and 18th minutes.

An own goal by defender Serdar Aziz cut the gap to one goal in the 50th minute, but the home side never really threatened Galatasaray’s lead.

Galatasaray striker Bafetimbi Gomis, who is the league’s top scorer with 27 goals, failed to convert a penalty shot in the dying minutes of the game. It was the third failed penalty shot of the season for the French striker.

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim was not concerned about Gomis missing penalty shots.

“Scorers may sometimes face such problems, we will have him hit the penalty shot again and again, until he does not want to,” Terim told a post-game press conference.

The former Turkish national team coach said many things could be said about the game, “but nothing here is more important than the three points we won.”

Gençlerbirliği, meanwhile, lost 1-0 at home to Antalyaspor on May 6, practically bidding farewell to the top flight.

Although the Ankara club, which is five points adrift the safe zone, has a mathematical chance of avoiding relegation, it will need a miracle not to follow Karabükspor to the First League next season.

Osmanlıspor, another team of the danger zone, salvaged one point with a 1-1 draw at Alanyaspor on May 5, while, Konyaspor won 1-0 at Karabükspor the same day for a brief relief.

In the weekend’s other game, nine-man Trabzonspor lost 5-2 at home to Kasımpaşa.

Week 32 was to warp up with two games late on May 7 when Beşiktaş hosted Kayserispor and Göztepe played Malatyaspor at home.