Galatasaray maintained its position at the top of the Süper Lig with a hard-fought 3-2 away win against İstanbul Başakşehir in Matchday 4. In this victory, marquee signing Rafael Leao made an impactful debut, while Victor Osimhen broke a historic scoring record.
How did Rafael Leao perform in his first Galatasaray match?
According to football-italia.net, Rafael Leao made his first appearance for Galatasaray in Friday night's match against Başakşehir following his €38m transfer from AC Milan. The Portuguese star played for 22 minutes in what was also his first outing of the season. Leao showed glimpses of his quality with trademark runs down the left flank and was involved in the build-up to Lucas Torreira's equalizer shortly after coming on.
Leao also drew the foul that led to Umut Bozok's red card with just over ten minutes remaining. This dismissal helped swing the game back in Galatasaray's favor when the score was level at 2-2. Under manager Okan Buruk, the team managed to secure all three points from a difficult away fixture, extending their winning run in the league. Leao now features in the club's current squad.
What historic record did Victor Osimhen break?
As reported by Onefootball.com, citing Turkish-Football.com, Victor Osimhen achieved a historic milestone with his goal against Başakşehir. The Nigerian striker scored a superb long-range effort, his sixth league goal of the campaign. This performance made Osimhen the first foreign signing in 25 years to reach six goals within the opening four weeks of a season.
Osimhen's explosive start invites comparisons to Mario Jardel, who scored seven in his first four league games in 2000-01. Unfortunately, Osimhen signaled discomfort in the 33rd minute and was replaced by Barış Alper Yılmaz. The club announced that MRI scans would be conducted to determine the extent of the issue. Osimhen's contribution of six goals and three assists in four matches accounts for a significant portion of the team's 12 league goals so far.
How is Galatasaray progressing with Champions League preparations?
Hürriyet Spor reported that Galatasaray continued their UEFA Champions League preparations with a training session at the Kemerburgaz Metin Oktay Facilities on September 6. The session, led by manager Okan Buruk, began with dynamic warm-ups and continued with passing drills and possession exercises. The training concluded with a small-sided game.
The Lions will travel to face Portuguese side Sporting in their Champions League group stage opener. Preparations are intensifying ahead of this important European fixture. The team aims to translate its domestic form onto the continental stage. You can follow the upcoming demanding schedule on our fixtures page.
What did Kocaelispor manager Selçuk İnan say about the Galatasaray match?
Speaking to Sabah Spor, Kocaelispor manager Selçuk İnan stated that the upcoming match against Galatasaray holds special meaning for him. İnan said, "As you will appreciate, very important and beautiful years of my life passed there." The former Galatasaray player added that his team would fight and he hoped to return with points.
İnan, after a 1-0 win over Samsunspor, also emphasized that the season is a long marathon and they aim to collect as many points as possible. Galatasaray remains focused on consolidating its league position. According to our Süper Lig standings page, the Lions lead the table with 10 points, one point clear of Beşiktaş. The team's record from four games stands at three wins and one draw.
Galatasaray's next league fixture is at home against seventh-placed Rizespor on December 6, 2026. This match presents another key opportunity for the team to protect its position at the summit.
