This was the kind of exhilarating, high-octane match that both Galatasaray and Tottenham are accustomed to, and the only surprise was the goal tally, which did not do justice to a game that was wide open beyond belief. In truth, Spurs should have been completely overwhelmed by the hosts, who had no concept of how to apply the brakes and had launched 28 shots by the end. A stunning goal from Yunus Akgun and two from Victor Osimhen, who had numerous other opportunities, completed their tally by halftime, but somehow Ange Postecoglou’s side remained in contention until the final whistle. This was partly due to a first senior goal for the 19-year-old Will Lankshear, who celebrated in front of a raucous home crowd but was later shown a second yellow card on the hour mark. Dominic Solanke provided an unexpected lifeline later on, although no equalizer was forthcoming, and this defeat should have little impact on Tottenham’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
The chances of a quiet affair were minimal from the outset, and that was before considering the atmosphere, which, as Postecoglou had acknowledged, was the kind of environment you play football for. Galatasaray have been averaging almost three goals per game as they lead their domestic league, and they defeated Elfsborg 4-3 in their previous European match here. The array of attacking talent on display was impressive, and if Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens carry the scent of late-career payday, Osimhen’s summer arrival means they can field one of the best center-forwards around. All of them were momentarily overshadowed within five minutes by Akgun, who was on loan at Leicester last season. It was a sumptuous strike; a masterful display of technique that was all the more impressive given Archie Gray seemed to have done enough in heading Gabriel Sara’s free-kick clear. Running around the ball as it bounced up beyond the D, Akgun connected perfectly and sent it roaring into Fraser Forster’s top left corner.
Then, in a moment the youngster will treasure, the hosts’ stars were eclipsed by Lankshear. They had looked likely to turn the screw, with Forster clearing in front of Osimhen and Akgun shooting waywardly when attempting a repeat, but were clinically picked apart in two passes. One of them was clipped diagonally by Gray into the path of Brennan Johnson; the next was a volleyed cross that Lankshear, showing a scorer’s instinct, jabbed in from close range. Spurs were coping without seven absentees, and it had hurt Postecoglou’s rotation options that Mikey Moore, the young winger, missed out through illness. Lankshear justified the decision to rest Solanke but they had been swamped until then and Galatasaray soon resumed the onslaught.
Forster denied a clean-through Osimhen, watched as Mertens blasted the rebound wide, and was fortunate to see the Nigerian have a goal chalked off. But Spurs could hardly be accused of making their own luck and were undone again after the half-hour, Radu Dragusin getting his body shape wrong when receiving a routine pass from Ben Davies and allowing Icardi to nick the ball away. It rolled to Mertens, who slid Osimhen in for a toe-ended finish across Forster and unleashed pandemonium again. Osimhen saw the whites of Forster’s eyes once more but drew another commendable stop. It was becoming a personal battle and almost immediately he struck another blow. Mertens’ right-sided cross was whipped perfectly and, at waist height, Osimhen cushioned a brilliant finish into the far corner to leave Tottenham praying for the break.
How to stem the tide while saving legs? Postecoglou’s answer was to introduce Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski for Johnson and a marginal Son Heung-min, but the pattern continued. Osimhen missed a free header that, in another dimension, might have brought his sixth goal of the game. A fumble by Forster caused a scramble near the line and then Akgun, taking aim again, saw a volley deflected just wide. In the 57th minute Osimhen looked certain to complete his hat-trick at last but Forster, diving the other way, repelled with a trailing foot. The barrage was constant; the appetite on Galarasaray’s part to sit back negligible. When Lankshear received another sniff, he could not connect sufficiently and the underemployed Fernando Muslera saved easily.
If that was evidence for Lankshear that not everything will come easily, it had nothing on what followed. He had already been booked and then, perhaps in frustration at being dispossessed near halfway, lunged in on Sara and gave the referee, Lawrence Visser, the simplest of calls to make. Forster swiftly made flying saves from Baris Alper Yilmaz and Akgun. Tottenham had been peppered and it seemed almost farcical when the recently introduced Solanke, cutely backheeling a centre from Pedro Porro, provided hope. It came to nothing, Kulusevski failing to catch Muslera out in added time, but the evening’s entertainment had been bountiful.
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