ISTANBUL
Galatasaray defeated Ankaragucu 4-1 to win their 23rd Turkish Super Lig title on Tuesday.
Galatasaray broke the deadlock with a close-range finish from Mauro Icardi in the 17th minute, assisted by Milot Rashica at Eryaman Stadium in the capital Ankara.
After six minutes, Ankaragucu leveled the match when Felicio Milson placed the ball into the bottom corner with a left-footed shot.
The Lions took the lead again when Icardi produced a header in the 38th minute, and Kerem Akturkoglu assisted him.
In the 73rd minute, Baris Alper Yilmaz put the ball into the net after dribbling past MKE Ankaragucu goalkeeper Gokhan Akkan in a counterattack.
Sergio Oliveira netted another header for Galatasaray to make it 4-1 in the 79th minute.
With this victory, the Istanbul club have claimed their first title in Türkiye’s top football division since 2019.
Collecting 82 points in 34 matches, Galatasaray are five points ahead of second-place Fenerbahce with two matches remaining.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Galatasaray on winning the Turkish Super Lig title.
‘A twist of fate’
Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk heaped praise on his players for their efforts on the way to their 23rd Super Lig title.
Head coach of Galatasaray, Okan Buruk
“Galatasaray starts every year to become a champion. We said May is ours. I had my first championship as a football player here 30 years ago. Let’s call it a twist of fate,” Buruk said after the game. “Good players are found, but being a team is difficult. They have all done it.”
Buruk, 49, thanked those in the squad for making the fans happy during this season. “It was very valuable for us to win this cup in Ankara on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
The Lions’ goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who won his sixth Super Lig title with the club, said the team had a very tough season last year.
“With the arrival of Dursun Ozbek and Erden Timur, we entered a different path. I think everyone deserved the championship. The fans had an incredible share in this,” Muslera said, referring to the president of the club and its deputy chairman.
