Galatasaray on Wednesday booked their place within the third qualifying spherical of the UEFA Champions League because the Lions eradicated Lithuania’s Zalgiris within the second spherical qualifiers’ second leg.
It was a scorching day at Rams Park, with 41,505 fervent followers filling the stands, able to witness a soccer spectacle.
The first half-hour began cautiously, with each groups testing the waters within the scorching and humid climate.
Galatasaray struggled to create scoring alternatives till the thirty first minute, when the second everybody was ready for arrived.
Dries Mertens, the proficient Belgian footballer, stepped up and unleashed a strong shot from outdoors the penalty space, shattering Zalgiris’ protection.
The second half rolled on, however the tempo remained low, and each groups had difficulties producing goal-scoring possibilities.
Zalgiris had a golden alternative to degree the rating when Mathias Oyewusi confronted Galatasaray’s formidable goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, within the 66th minute.
However, Muslera pulled off an important save, preserving the lead and securing the victory for his workforce.
The match additionally marked the debut of Galatasaray’s new star signing, Cedric Bakambu.
The 32-year-old striker, recent from becoming a member of the squad, donned the yellow-red jersey for the primary time when he got here on as an alternative choice to Barış Alper Yılmaz within the 79th minute.
With this triumph in opposition to Zalgiris, Galatasaray superior to the third qualifying spherical, able to face Slovenia’s Olimpija Ljubljana.
The upcoming showdown guarantees to be thrilling as Galatasaray seeks to safe a spot within the play-off spherical.
The first leg can be an away match, with Galatasaray internet hosting their opponent in Istanbul for the return fixture.
This victory additionally marked a big milestone for Galatasaray, as they broke a longstanding drought within the Champions League qualifiers.
The Istanbulites lastly tasted success after a streak of six matches and not using a win within the “Giants League” qualifier.
The final time they achieved such a feat was again within the 2006-2007 season once they triumphed in opposition to Czechia’s Mlada Boleslav.
Now, with this renewed confidence, Galatasaray is raring to make their mark on the European stage as soon as once more.
One of essentially the most intriguing moments of the match got here within the seventy fifth minute when Zalgiris’ Nassim Hnid acquired his marching orders.
However, the choice was challenged and reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which in the end led to the purple card being overturned and changed with a yellow card.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
