Galatasaray falls to Villarreal in final home friendly

Galatasaray suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Villarreal in their last home friendly before the new season. The match, held at RAMS Park, saw the Spanish side take an early lead from the penalty spot.

Just two minutes into the game, Villarreal was awarded a penalty after a challenge in the Galatasaray defense. Perez converted the spot-kick in the third minute, putting the visitors up 1-0. Galatasaray's frustration was evident when coach Okan Buruk received a yellow card for protesting the decision in the fourth minute, followed by a second yellow and a red card shortly after, forcing him to watch the remainder of the match from the stands.

Galatasaray managed to equalize quickly in the fifth minute. Barış Alper Yılmaz set up Eren Aydın, whose cross was met by Victor Osimhen with a header at the far post. However, Villarreal regained the lead in the 41st minute through Georges Mikautadze. Despite efforts in the remaining minutes, Galatasaray could not find another equalizer, concluding their home preparations with a loss.

This result caps off a mixed pre-season for Galatasaray, who have recorded one win, one draw, and three losses in their friendly matches. Their preparation included a 5-1 victory over Ümraniyespor, followed by losses to Monza (2-0) and Venezia (3-0) in Austria. They also drew 3-3 with Rennes before the Villarreal match.