The key facts

  • Galatasaray beat Genclerbirligi 1:0 away — Deniz Gul's goal in the 88th minute after a goalkeeper error by Egribayat.
  • Galatasaray — 19 points after eight rounds, first place in the Super Lig; Genclerbirligi — 8 points, winless run reached six matches.
  • Rafael Leao, who replaced Leroy Sane in the 61st minute, was forced to leave the pitch after 16 minutes due to injury.

Late goal gives Galatasaray the win

Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray earned a 1:0 victory in an away match against Genclerbirligi on Saturday. The decisive goal was scored by substitute Deniz Gul in the 88th minute: his shot from a tight angle on the right went past goalkeeper Irfan Can Egribayat, whose error handed the visitors three points. The Istanbul side struggled for a long time to break down the opponent's defence.

First-half chances

Both teams created chances towards the end of the first half. Genclerbirligi midfielder Salih Ucan came closest to scoring: in the 36th minute, Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir parried his turning shot onto the crossbar. Five minutes later, Ucan failed to convert another chance, missing an unmarked close-range effort from a cross. In stoppage time, Leroy Sane missed an open goal after a low pass from Victor Osimhen from the right flank.

Second half: substitutions and the Leao injury

In the 52nd minute, Genclerbirligi were dangerous again: Tiago Gouveia, assisted by Franco Tonga, shot over the crossbar from inside the penalty area. In the 61st minute, Galatasaray brought on Rafael Leao in place of Sane, but the Portuguese winger left the pitch due to injury after just 16 minutes, making way for Gul. The substitute proved decisive: in the 88th minute he scored from an awkward angle, and Egribayat failed to stop his shot.

Standings and upcoming matches

The win took Galatasaray's tally to 19 points after eight matches — the team kept first place in the Super Lig. Genclerbirligi, playing their second match under new head coach Bernd Storck, remained on eight points and extended their winless run in the league to six games. In the next round, Galatasaray will host their fierce rivals Fenerbahce, while Genclerbirligi will play away against Konyaspor.