Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0 in the fourth round of the league phase of the Champions League. Aleksey Batrakov decided the match with two goals within three minutes and helped the Turkish champions increase their tally to six points. Stuttgart remained on seven points after suffering their first defeat in the tournament.
Batrakov opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Following a move down the right, the ball reached him in the penalty area, and the Russian midfielder struck with his right foot from around 12 metres. Goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow got a touch to the ball but was unable to prevent the goal.
Just three minutes later, Galatasaray doubled their lead. Davinson Sánchez played Batrakov through with a pass from near the halfway line, and he advanced towards the penalty area before shooting from around eight metres between Bredlow’s legs. Batrakov thus reached four goals in this season’s league phase.
The visitors could have taken the lead in the 8th minute. Jamie Leweling had a chance to shoot from close range, but the ball hit the left and right posts in succession before rebounding into play. This remained Stuttgart’s clearest chance in the opening stages of the match.
After the second goal, Galatasaray took control of the game, while the German side struggled to find space in attack. Stuttgart nevertheless continued to look for openings down the flanks. In the 18th minute, Atakan Karazor was forced off, with 19-year-old Yannick Spalt coming on in his place to make his Champions League debut.
Before the match, the Istanbul side had three points after defeats by Sporting and Barcelona and a win over Lille. Stuttgart were unbeaten, with two wins and a draw. The victory kept Galatasaray in contention for a place in the knockout phase.
“We want to move up,” Okan Buruk said before the match.
Galatasaray’s next Champions League match will be at home against Aston Villa on 24 November. Stuttgart will visit Inter on 25 November.
In the other early match played today: Shakhtar Donetsk - Sporting Lisbon 0:1