Galatasaray beat Fenerbahce 2-1 as Istanbul derby ends in brawl and red cards

Derby result

Galatasaray beat Fenerbahce 2-1 in the Istanbul derby, a ninth-round match in the Turkish league. Victor Osimhen scored twice in the first half, and İrfan Can Kahveci pulled one back for the visitors in the 62nd minute. The win kept Galatasaray top of the table with 22 points from nine matches, while Fenerbahce slipped to fifth on 16 points. Fenerbahce came closest to a point late on, when a header from Milan Skriniar was cleared off the line by Lemina.

How the match unfolded

Fenerbahce started poorly and struggled to contain Galatasaray, who came close to scoring several times. Nélson Semedo started for the visitors. Osimhen's second goal came just before the break, from a second ball after Ederson, the former Benfica goalkeeper, made an incomplete clearance. Kahveci's acrobatic strike came shortly before Galatasaray introduced Rafael Leão, and it extended a good run for the midfielder, who had scored in two of his three previous league matches.

Brawl after the final whistle

The match ended in a fight that spread across the pitch. Kerem Aktürkoğlu of Fenerbahce and Roland Sallai of Galatasaray began with a verbal exchange that quickly turned into pushing, and teammates from both sides ran in. Technical staff left their benches to join the melee, and police had to enter the field to separate some of the players. Abdülkerim Bardakcı of Galatasaray and Archie Brown of Fenerbahce fell to the ground during the scuffle. Accounts put the fighting at between three and five minutes, after which Fenerbahce players headed toward their dressing rooms.

Red cards and conflicting accounts

Referee Atilla Karaoğlan showed straight red cards to Bardakcı and Brown, so neither could continue on the pitch. Aktürkoğlu and Sallai were booked. Bardakcı said video footage would show who attacked first. Brown accused Galatasaray of unsporting play and said Bardakcı had pulled his hair and scratched his neck, while Turkish press reports said Brown had come at Bardakcı from behind and dragged him down by the neck. Reports say the players involved will probably be referred to the Turkish Football Federation's disciplinary committee.

Table impact

Galatasaray lead the league on 22 points after nine matchdays. Besiktas and Trabzonspor both won and overtook Fenerbahce, with Besiktas on 18 points and Trabzonspor on 19 at that point. Fenerbahce dropped into fifth with 16 points, their third league defeat of the season.

Galatasaray22

Trabzonspor19

Besiktas18

Fenerbahce16

Galatasaray

22 points

Trabzonspor

19 points

Besiktas

18 points

Fenerbahce

16 points

Data from the article text