Galatasaray suffers Braga blow in the Champions League

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray defender Emmanuel Eboue (L) sits as Braga players celebrate a goal during the two teams’ Champions League match at the Türk Telekom Arena in Istanbul. AA photo

Galatasaray lost 2-0 at home to Sporting Braga on Oct. 2 - an inauspicious indicator of the team’s Champions League credentials.

Ruben Micael and Osorio Alan scored to secure the Portuguese team’s first points of the group stage.
The Lions dominated possession in the first Champions League match at Galatasaray’s Türk Telekom Arena, until Micael put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute after Antonio Eder penetrated the Turkish side’s defense and passed the ball to Ruben Amorim, whose shot was blocked by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. The ball fell to Micael, who found the empty net.

“We were the dominant side until the 27th minute,” Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim said. “But we weren’t able to find the goal.”

Galatasaray fought back in the second half, with Burak Yılmaz providing the biggest threat to the visitors with several long-range efforts at the Braga goal. But it was Aydın Yılmaz who came closest in the 77th minute with a powerful shot that was tipped onto the crossbar by Braga goalkeeper Antonio Beto.

“We started the second half well. We were again the dominant side, but it wasn’t to be. Again we were unable to score,” Terim said.

Alan secured the win in a counter-attack in the last minute of the game.

“We played well. It wasn’t easy, the [Braga] defense was strong,” said Galatasaray’s Emmanuel Eboue.

The result means that Galatasaray, while comfortably leading the Turkish league, has failed to score a goal and collect a single point in the team’s first two Champions League games.

“Unfortunately, we see that our performance in the Turkish league is not enough in the Champions League,” Terim said. Both teams had lost their opening matches in Group H, which also includes Manchester United and Romanian Cluj. United leads the group after beating Cluj 2-1.

Additional reporting from The Associated Press was used in this story.