İnan saves Galatasaray three minutes to midnight

ESKİŞEHİR

AA Photo

Istanbul’s Galatasaray remains in the league race thanks to a last-minute winner against Eskişehir in an away game in the Central Anatolian province Eskişehir on Feb. 9.

As Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe, both rivals for the top of the Turkish Super League standings, managed to add three to their points over the weekend, Galatasaray had feared a “Monday evening syndrome” game against Eskişehir, which it has not beaten since August 2010.

Galatasaray broke the deadlock with Bulut, who found the net after the goalkeeper Ruud Boffin saved his first attempt in the 20th minute, granting the Lions a sigh of relief, following waves of fast attacks by the home side.

Eskişehir winger Ibrahim Sissoko, however, tied the game seven minutes later.

The squad of Michael Skibbe, the former Galatasaray coach, was also dominant at the start the second half, but failed to finalize attacks. A rocket by Eskişehir attacker Emre Güral, who assisted Sezer Öztürk in the last quarter hour, hit the woodwork in the 82th minute, giving Galatasaray a shockwave.

Turkish international central midfielder Selcuk İnan’s goal from inside the box in the 87th minute saved the day for the Istanbul team.

Galatasaray rose to 42 points, one point behind Fenerbahçe and two behind Beşiktaş, the leaders.