Galatasaray's perfect run ends at home

A tough-battling Eskişehirspor holds Galatasaray to a 1-1 draw at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium and ends the Istanbul giant’s perfect run in the Turkcell Super League. The result helps Fenerbahçe advance to the top of the league



DISAPPOINTMENT: Galatasaray players Hakan Balta (L) and Aydın Yılmaz leave the pitch frustrated after the Eskişehirspor game. AA photo
Galatasaray was held in a 1-1 draw against Eskişehirspor on Sunday and lost the top spot of the Turkcell Super League to Fenerbahçe.

The sixth league goal by Congolese striker Shabani Nonda was equalized by veteran Eskişehirspor forward Mehmet Yılmaz’s 55th-minute goal as the Lions dropped points for the first time this season.

Galatasaray won its first six games in the league and was leading the standings over Fenerbahçe, who was also on a perfect record, thanks to a better goal difference. Galatasaray’s slump means Fenerbahçe is finally atop, as the Yellow Canaries clinched their seventh consecutive victory against Antalyaspor on Saturday.

Fenerbahçe has 21 points to lead the standings and holds the chance to make history – the Istanbul side will set the record for the best start to the league if it can beat Gençlerbirliği this weekend. Fener has matched the current record, which also belongs to the team and dates back to the 1964-1965 campaign.

Galatasaray coach Frank Rijkaard said his team deserved a win, although Eskişehirspor is a good team.

“Eskişehirspor is a good and well-organized side, but we deserved to win,” said Rijkaard. “We really wanted to win, but made the game complicated giving them a chance to score a goal.”

“We started the game well and tried to find the second goal after the first,” he said. “We piled on the pressure in the second half, but we could have made more passing to the feet.”

The Dutchman added that Galatasaray should look to the future now.

“We need to prepare better for the upcoming games showing our team spirit,” he said.

Eskişehirspor continued its good run in the league with the draw. The red and black team has three wins and four draws from seven games, making it one of the four unbeaten teams of the league with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Gençlerbirliği.

Coach Rıza Çalımbay was happy with his team’s performance.

“We were aware of Galatasaray’s strength, it was the best team we have played so far,” said Çalımbay. “They were good in every aspect of the game, but we battled hard.”