April 02, (THEWILL) – Galatasaray claimed victory in a fiercely contested derby against Fenerbahce, winning 2-1 in a match that featured three red cards during the final minutes. Victor Osimhen proved to be the difference maker, scoring both goals for the visiting team, including a penalty in the 27th minute after a VAR review for a handball by Filip Kostic.
The Nigerian forward opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he capitalised on a loose ball inside the box and fired past Irfan Egribayat into the right corner. Fenerbahce thought they had equalised through Sebastian Szymanski just before halftime, with the goal initially disallowed but then awarded following a VAR intervention in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Tensions escalated dramatically in the closing stages when three players received red cards in the 90+2 minute. Kerem Demirbay of Galatasaray, Mert Yandas of Fenerbahce, and Baris Alper Yilmaz of Galatasaray were all dismissed for unsportsmanlike conduct despite two of them not being on the pitch at the time, reflecting the intensity of the rivalry between these Istanbul giants.
The match was marked by physical play throughout, with the referee Cihan Aydin issuing multiple yellow cards to both teams. Galatasaray had opportunities to extend their lead, notably when Baris Alper Yilmaz missed a one-on-one chance in the 53rd minute, forcing a great save from Egribayat. Fenerbahce also threatened, with Fred testing Gunay Guvenc with a powerful shot from distance in the 54th minute.
Both teams made tactical substitutions in the second half with Fenerbahce bringing on experienced forward Edin Dzeko and winger Allan Saint-Maximin, while Galatasaray introduced Alvaro Morata in the closing stages to help maintain their advantage. The victory means Galatasaray advance to the semi-final of the Turkish Cup where they will meet Konyaspor, who beat Iskenderun FK 3-0 in the other quarterfinal. the league standings while delivering a significant blow to their city rivals.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
