The Süper Lig giants just battered Juventus in the Champions League. It’s time to put some respect on Galatasaray’s name.
How much more obvious do Galatasaray have to make it, really?
The Turkish side broke their league record last summer when they signed Victor Osimhen. Osimhen, 27, who established himself as one of the best strikers in the world when he led Napoli to the Serie A title. That same summer, Galatasaray added Türkiye’s starting goalkeeper, Uğurcan Çakır, and Ligue 1 star Wilfried Singo in big-money moves from Trabzonspor and AS Monaco, respectively.
Two German stars joined the ranks as well — both on free transfers. İlkay Gündoğan signed following a second stint with Pep Guardiola’s side, while Leroy Sané surprised some with his decision to head to the Süper Lig directly from Bayern Munich. A team that had already lost only one of 36 games in the league the previous year was looking much, much more threatening.
Galatasaray beat Liverpool in the Champions League, but that had to be a fluke. The Reds simply weren’t that good this season. In the winter, the Aslan added Noa Lang from Napoli and re-signed Sacha Boey from Bayern Munich. Still, were they good enough to challenge Europe’s top sides?
They answered that on Tuesday with a resounding yes.
At home against Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus, Galatasaray absolutely dominated. Sure, injuries to Bremer and a Juan Cabal red card made the Serie A side less daunting, but make no mistake — the Turkish side deserved the victory.
Gabriel Sara put Galatasaray ahead after 15 minutes before a Teun Koopmeiners brace gave Juventus the 2-1 lead heading into the half. Then, in the second half, Okan Buruk’s side took over, scoring four unanswered goals to secure a massive 5-2 win at home. Lang, signed in January, scored a brace, while Boey and Davinson Sánchez also found the back of the net.
The thing is, this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Galatasaray have no losses in the league since November. They average 2.5 goals per game in the Süper Lig, and have conceded only 15 goals in the league all season — well under a goal per game.
Their Champions League form is perhaps less inspiring. Eintracht Frankfurt battered them 5-1 on the opening day as the Turkish giants caused their own problems. A bizarre game saw Galatasaray fall 1-0 to AS Monaco, who, despite having multiple big chances, only managed to score on backup goalkeeper Günay Güvenç after Çakir left with an injury. Losses to Union St. Gilloise and Manchester City pushed them into the playoffs, instead of an automatic pass into the Round of 16.
But the Juventus game showed just how good Galatasaray can be — and just how the times have changed. Buruk subbed on Sané, Mauro Icardi, Singo, Boey, and Turkish international Evren Eren Elmalı, all in the second half. Gündogan, Yaser Asprilla, and veterans Kaan Ayhan and Ahmed Kutucu were unused subs. Buruk arguably had better options on his bench than Spalletti.
Galatasaray are not without their flaws this season, but to write them off is dangerous. Times have changed, and the Turkish giants now have some of the best players in the world — in their primes. Victor Osimhen didn’t even score, and they still put five goals past a top Serie A side.
The Süper Lig has a reputation as a league where players who are past their best join, but that has changed. The Aslan have more than just skill this season, they have desire. Osimhen looked frustrated every time Galatasaray didn’t score against Juventus. They don’t want to settle for just the league this season, and Spalletti’s side were just the latest to find this out.
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Image via galatasaray.org.
