Okan Buruk’s side controlled possession from the opening minutes and created the better chances, although for much of the match it was repeatedly denied by the woodwork and an inspired Serhat Öztaşdelen.
Galatasaray Keeps Pushing and Defeats Kocaelispor in the Süper Lig
Galatasaray had to suffer much more than expected, but its persistence was finally rewarded with a 1-0 victory over Kocaelispor, maintaining its impressive run in the Süper Lig.
Gabriel Sara issued an early warning with a long-range free kick, while Deniz Gül went even closer when he burst into the box from the left and unleashed a powerful shot that crashed against the post.
VAR and the Woodwork Deny Galatasaray
The home side even managed to put the ball into the net after Rafa Leão smashed a rebound against the crossbar and Deniz Gül reacted to the second ball to finish the move. However, VAR spotted an earlier foul by the striker and ruled out the goal.
Kocaelispor also showed that it could cause problems on the counterattack. Dan Agyei produced a spectacular run from almost the halfway line before seeing his shot come back off the post.
Before halftime, Leão had two opportunities to score his first Süper Lig goal, but his first effort went narrowly wide before Öztaşdelen produced an excellent save to deny him moments later
From Hero to Villain for Öztaşdelen
Galatasaray remained in control during the second half and came extremely close to scoring in the 69th minute when Davinson Sánchez’s effort was cleared practically off the goal line.
One minute later, the breakthrough finally arrived.
Captain Abdülkerim Bardakcı tried his luck from long range with a shot that appeared routine for Öztaşdelen, but the goalkeeper, who had been one of the standout performers until that moment, made a costly mistake and allowed Galatasaray to take a 1-0 lead.
Roland Sallai nearly doubled the advantage with a free kick that struck the crossbar following another strong intervention from the goalkeeper.
Kocaelispor had one final opportunity to rescue a point in stoppage time, but Uğurcan Çakır responded with a huge save to deny an unmarked header from Metehan Altunbaş.
The 1-0 victory keeps Galatasaray unbeaten and extends its winning streak to four consecutive matches in the Süper Lig. For Kocaelispor, meanwhile, a run of three straight victories comes to an end as it suffers its first league defeat since the opening matchday.
