March 08, (THEWILL) — Victor Osimhen’s headed goal in the 39th minute earned Galatasaray a 1-0 victory over Beşiktaş in the Turkish Super Lig derby at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday.
The contest was feisty from the outset, with Osimhen booked in the sixth minute and further yellow cards issued to Leroy Sané, Orkun Kökçü, and Amir Murillo before the half-hour.
The breakthrough came when Sané delivered a precise cross that the Nigerian striker converted with a header past Ersin Destanoğlu.
Beşiktaş failed to produce a clear opening in reply before the interval.
Galatasaray’s position became far more difficult in the second half when Sané received a red card in the 62nd minute, confirmed by VAR, for a foul.
Playing with an extra man, Beşiktaş controlled 60 per cent of possession and registered 24 shots, seven on target, while Galatasaray managed 12 attempts and four on target.
Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was the defining figure in the closing stages, producing seven saves to keep the score at 1-nil.
The win took Galatasaray to 61 points from 25 matches, seven ahead of second-place Fenerbache, with 19 victories recorded this season.
Beşiktaş stayed fourth on 46 points after the same number of games. Osimhen’s match-winning contribution leaves Galatasaray firmly in control of the title race.
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.
