Sports writers assess Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Başakşehir

Galatasaray remained unbeaten after defeating İstanbul Başakşehir 3-2 in the fourth week of the Trendyol Süper Lig, but the match also raised questions about how the team functions without Victor Osimhen.

Ebru Kılıçoğlu wrote that Galatasaray looked dangerous early, with Batrakov influential in midfield and Osimhen scoring in the 16th minute. The Nigerian forward then suffered an injury and left in the 33rd minute, slowing Galatasaray’s tempo. Başakşehir increased the pressure after halftime and equalized through Shomurodov’s penalty.

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If Osimhen is taken out of the equation, what happens?

Galatasaray went ahead again through Torreira in the 71st minute, but Başakşehir continued to force errors. Sanchez then scored an own goal. The match still produced more late drama, including Umut’s red card, a disallowed Sanchez goal for offside and Sara’s free-kick winner in the 90th-plus-first minute.

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The Brazilian player was the star of the match. If Galatasaray took three points, Gabriel Sara deserves the biggest share of the credit.

Uğur Meleke said Osimhen’s absence affected not only Galatasaray but the league’s balance. After he went off, Galatasaray pressed less intensely, retreated more often and made more mistakes. Meleke praised Leao’s contribution after coming on, especially his pass and dribbling in the second goal, but identified Sara as the match’s main showpiece because of his impact from set pieces.

Osman Şenher also named Sara as the game’s star. He said Galatasaray looked excellent before Osimhen’s injury, but struggled afterward, with Barış Alper unable to make an impact. Sara, he wrote, took control of the match and deserved the largest share of credit for the three points. Levent Tüzemen, meanwhile, criticized a player’s supposedly careless attitude and called for courage from coach Okan Buruk as he seeks a fifth consecutive league title.

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The fearful die every day, while the brave die only once.