Victor Osimhen scored twice to present Galatasaray a deserved win over Tottenham and finish the Londoners’ 100 per cent file within the Europa League.
The Nigeria striker was too highly effective and too intelligent for a makeshift Spurs defence and, had it not been for goalkeeper Fraser Forster, the margin of victory would have been a lot higher.
Yunus Akgun additionally scored for the hosts in entrance of a boisterous residence crowd with Will Lankshear, who was later sent-off on a bittersweet night time for the teenage striker, and Dominic Solanke on the right track for Spurs.
The Galatasaray followers had created a usually hostile environment earlier than kick-off and the noise cranked up even additional after six minutes when their facet went forward from their first critical assault.
Early setback for Spurs
A free-kick into the Tottenham space was headed clear nevertheless it fell to Akgun and he hammered a left-footed shot into the highest right-hand nook from 25 yards with Forster having no probability.
It was his fourth objective of the season within the Europa League and he tried his luck once more shortly afterwards however this time missed the goal.
What a strike from Yunus Akgun 🚀
Galatasaray take an early lead towards Tottenham because of an absolute rocket of a end 😱
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/CYVObu3GFg
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024
Spurs have been wanting nervous however, out of nowhere, they conjured up a neat equaliser.
Archie Grey’s cross picked out Brennan Johnson on the far put up and his volley throughout objective was good for Lankshear to poke into the roof of the web.
It was to show temporary respite for Ange Postecoglou’s facet as Galatasaray instantly regained the momentum and so they may have gone again forward after 25 minutes. Good work from Gabriel Sara enabled Osimhen to burst by means of on objective along with his shot effectively saved by Forster and Dries Mertens firing the rebound huge.
Osimhen was proving a menace for the Spurs defence and the offside flag denied him 5 minutes later after he latched on to Mertens’ cross.
Osimhen to not be denied
It was third time fortunate for the pacy striker, who’s spending the season on mortgage at Galatasaray from Napoli, shortly afterwards.
Mauro Icardi pinched the ball from Radu Dragusin and when it fell to Mertens, he performed in Osimhen who made no mistake with a scientific end into the underside right-hand nook.
It was 3-1 six minutes earlier than the break. Osimhen’s preliminary effort was saved by the toes of Forster however he may do nothing as Galatasaray maintained possession and Mertens, who confirmed he had misplaced nothing of his artistic spark at 37 years of age, whipped in a superb cross that Osimhen sidefooted previous Forster.
Johnson and captain Son Heung-min have been hauled off by Postecoglou at half-time nevertheless it did little to vary the stream of the sport and Abdulkerim Bardakci had two efforts at objective after Forster flapped at Sara’s free-kick.
Osimhen fluffed the prospect for a hat-trick by heading over Mertens’ cross from the correct earlier than he was then denied by a superb save from Forster.
Lankshear loses his head
Spurs’ hopes of navigating a route again into the sport bought more and more tougher on the hour mark when Lankshear, who was already on a yellow card, misplaced possession, clattered into Sara and was dismissed.
Issues go from unhealthy to worse for Tottenham 😬
19-year-old Will Lankshear receives a second yellow card and is shipped off for Spurs 🟥
📺@tntsports&@discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MsWdKPqWzO
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024
Forster saved from Akgun and Baris Yilmaz to maintain Spurs in it and the guests made probably the most of their goalkeeper’s excellence by pulling one again on a uncommon foray into the Galatasaray half.
Pedro Porro escaped down the correct and his low cross was turned in cleverly by substitute Solanke.
Icardi was carried off on a stretcher earlier than Dejan Kulusevski got here agonisingly near snatching an underserved equaliser with a long-range lob that drifted simply huge with Fernando Muslera out of his objective.