The key facts

  • Batrakov scored a brace in the 12th and 15th minutes against Stuttgart and was named Man of the Match
  • He is the only Russian player in the UEFA Team of the Week
  • In the summer of 2026 he moved from Lokomotiv to Galatasaray for €25 million plus bonuses

A brace against Stuttgart earned him a place in the Team of the Week

Galatasaray's Russian midfielder Alexey Batrakov has been named to the UEFA Team of the Week for the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, Gazeta.Ru reports. The UEFA technical observer group highlighted the 21-year-old's effectiveness and his ability to find space in attack, especially on his second goal against Stuttgart.

The match that earned him the selection

The match against Stuttgart took place on November 3 and ended with a 2:0 win for Galatasaray. Batrakov started the game and scored a brace, with his goals coming three minutes apart — in the 12th and 15th minutes. He was substituted in the 77th minute and was named Man of the Match after the game. Earlier, he had also been named among the top three players of the week in the Champions League.

Who else made the Team of the Week

Alongside Batrakov, the Team of the Week includes goalkeeper Yann Sommer (Club Brugge), defenders Kasper Jørgensen, Yann Bisseck, Gabriel Magalhães and Archie Brown, midfielders Enzo Fernández, Fábian Ruiz and Gabri Veiga, as well as forwards Erik Botheim and Anastasios Douvikas.

Transfer and statistics in Turkey

Batrakov moved from Moscow's Lokomotiv to Galatasaray in August 2026; the transfer fee was €25 million plus bonuses, and his contract with the Turkish club runs until June 30, 2031. For his new team, he has played 12 matches in all competitions, scoring five goals and providing three assists. The Team of the Week selection is his first such recognition since the move — previously he had only made the top three players of the week.