Galatasaray beats Celtic on penalties to win friendly cup

ANTALYA

Cim bom player exploded in the joy after winning the penalty shootout to claim the Turkish Airlines Cup. Cihan photo

Galatasaray beat Scottish champion Celtic on penalties to claim the friendly Turkish Airlines Cup in Antalya on Jan. 12. 

The two-time defending Turkish titleholder survived a penalty shootout to win the four-team exhibition tournament in the Mediterranean province. 

The final ended in a goalless stalemate, after which Celtic winger James Forrest missed the decisive penalty in the shootout, putting an end to his team’s chances. 

Galatasaray played without its Ivory Coast star striker Didier Drogba, but Dutch ace Wesley Sneijder and Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera played 45 minutes. New signing Izet Hajrovic played his second game for the Lions, after making his debut in the semifinal. 

Celtic was also playing with a largely rotated squad, with coach Neil Lennon resting eight of the players who participated in the semifinal. 

Earlier in the weekend, Trabzonspor beat Ajax, also on penalties, to make third place in the tournament. 
Galatasaray advanced to the final with a 2-1 win over Ajax, while Celtic beat Trabzonspor 3-1 in the tournament’s opening game.