Trabzonspor stops high-flying Galatasaray
ISTANBUL
alatasaray’s unbeaten run in the Spor Toto Super League ended in Week 10, as the Istanbul club lost 2-1 at struggling Trabzonspor on Oct. 29.
Dame N’Doye and Yusuf Yazıcı scored for the home side in the second half, while Garry Rodrigues pulled one back for the visitors four minutes from the final whistle.
A bad-tempered game also saw three red cards, one for Trabzonspor and two for Galatasaray.
Trabzonspor coach Rıza Çalımbay, who was on the touchline for his second league game after a 1-0 loss at Malatyaspor the previous week, was happy with the result.
“We badly needed a win. Both the fans and ourselves were going through troubled times,” said the experienced coach after the game.
“My players successfully did what we talked about, what we practiced on during training sessions. We got a well-deserved victory with the game we played throughout the match. We dedicate this win to our supporters,” Çalımbay added.
Galatasaray coach Igor Tudor said “one loss in 10 games should not be exaggerated.”
“You don’t win the title in 10 games and you definitely don’t lose it,” Tudor told a post-game press conference. “We will learn from our mistakes and we will focus on developing ourselves.”
Trabzonspor, which had not won in its five league games, started the match attacking and hungry for goals, while Galatasaray tried to respond with counter-attacks.
The first half of the match ended goalless, but in the 45th minute Olcay Şahan from Trabzonspor and Sofiane Feghouli from Galatasaray were sent off following a scuffle.
The second half started well for Trabzonspor when the team found an opening goal by striker N’Doye in the 51st minute. Defender Uğur
Demirok’s header was saved by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera; however, N’Doye was inside the six yard box to give his team
the 1-0 lead.
In the 69th minute, youngster Yazıcı took a shot with his left foot during a counter-attack, it was deflected by defender Jason Denayer, deceiving Muslera and reaching the net. The goal gave Trabzonspor a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Galatasaray managed to pull the score to 2-1 in the 86th minute by a powerful strike by winger Rodrigues, but it was too little too late.
With the result, Trabzonspor increased its points tally to 12, while Galatasaray remained atop the standings, sitting on 23 points despite the loss.
Also on Oct. 29 in the league, Bursaspor beat 10-man Antalyaspor 4-0, Sivasspor won 1-0 at Karabükspor and Konyaspor won 1-0 against Osmanlıspor at home.
On Oct. 28, Beşiktaş defeated Alanyaspor 2-1 in Antalya, getting its first victory after four league matches.
The match saw Beşiktaş finding the first goal in the eight minute, thanks to in-form striker Cenk Tosun. However, Alanyaspor managed to equalize the match in the 26th minute with Brazilian defender Welinton Souza Silva.
In the 88th minute, Beşiktaş striker Alvaro Negredo scored his first-ever goal for the Istanbul club, ending his side’s four-game winless streak in the league.
Second-placed Başakşehir beat Akhisarspor 2-1 at home, and 10-man Gençlerbirliği lost a crucial home game against Malatyaspor 1-0 on Oct. 28. Kasımpaşa was the happy side in the week’s first game on Oct. 27, beating visiting Göztepe 3-1.
Fenerbahçe was to take on Kayserispor at ome in the last game of Week 10 late on Oct. 30.
