Sports writers evaluate Galatasaray's magnificent victory: A football torment for Tottenham

Our representatives took to the field in European cups. Fenerbahçe, representing our country in the UEFA Europa League, suffered its first defeat in the tournament by losing 3-1 away to AZ Alkmaar.

Our other representative in Europe, Beşiktaş, closed the week with a victory. The black-and-white team defeated Swedish league side Malmö 2-1.

Başakşehir, one of our UEFA Conference League representatives, faced Copenhagen away. Başakşehir drew 2-2 with its strong opponent on the road.

Galatasaray, our other representative in the UEFA Europa League, faced Premier League side Tottenham at home. Our yellow-red representative, which displayed a superior performance from start to finish, managed to beat its opponent 3-2.

Galatasaray's goals came from Victor Osimhen (2) and Yunus Akgün. With this result, Galatasaray increased its points to 10, securing an important 3 points toward advancing to the next round.

Sports writers evaluated this spectacular victory for Galatasaray:

This article is a tribute to Okan Buruk - Engin Kehale |

We watched one of Okan Buruk's masterpieces. Those who follow the author of these lines will remember the writing at the Tottenham Stadium: “To dare is to do.” Galatasaray dared and did it. There was a plan on the pitch that left Tottenham helpless.

Starting Kaan Ayhan in the middle of the three-man defense was the most important touch. Before the match, Buruk did not let us see the expected, and somewhat feared, Barış Alper-Son and Yunus Akgün-Brennan Johnson matchups at all.

It was a 90-minute period where the scoreboard did not reflect the game. Galatasaray exhausted the plan B duo that was on the field due to the opponent's injured center-backs. It directed the ball to Draguşin. It found positions from his mistakes with intense and heavy pressure.

Okan Buruk and Galatasaray can now move their target from the top 8 in the league to the top 4 and beyond in the Europa League. (HÜRRİYET)

You are wonderful, Galatasaray - Osman Şenher |

Let me start with Okan Buruk... The coach has a heart of gold. You know how they were shouting at the top of their lungs; “Can Osimhen and Icardi play side by side?”... I suppose people who talk like this will be ashamed to bring up this topic again.

Victor Osimhen scored two goals and could not beat the goalkeeper in three other positions that we would call 100 percent goal-scoring chances. But he literally beat up the opposing defense. Icardi, Mertens, and Osimhen are a magnificent trio... Do not let the score surprise you; the match should have ended with at least an eight-goal difference in favor of the yellow-reds. (MİLLİYET)

Magnificent game! - Bülent Timurlenk |

The intense pressure applied to the English side, who were obsessively trying to play out from the back, stunned the opponent. After Yunus's magnificent goal, Galatasaray, playing tremendous football both in attack and defense, carried its press—which made one wonder how long it could last—for 45 minutes.

Tottenham's goal, found on their only opportunity, was the 11th attack for Buruk's team; it was Galatasaray's best game since the Bayern Munich match last season, and perhaps even one of the best performances in Galatasaray's history, independent of the scoreboard. Between the 46th and 65th minutes, Galatasaray could have inflicted one of the biggest defeats in Tottenham's history. They couldn't get enough of missing chances.

The result of such a magnificent game should not have been this scoreboard; it should have been much different... Of course, Icardi's injury is both an exclamation mark and a question mark for the rest of the season. (SABAH)

A footballing torment for Tottenham! - Levent Tüzemen |

For 65 minutes, Galatasaray literally subjected Tottenham, the most in-form team in England, to a footballing torment. Galatasaray dismantled Tottenham, which UEFA showed as the top candidate for the championship and which Mourinho said would play in the final. If Osimhen, who scored two goals, and Icardi had converted the opportunities they found when they were face-to-face with the goalkeeper, Galatasaray would have achieved its most lopsided European victory in history. It was the Galatasaray players who dominated the ball for 65 minutes, made the pitch narrow for Tottenham, and launched effective attacks from the wings.

After Tottenham was reduced to 10 men, Galatasaray's game deteriorated, and panic and anxiety began. While the tremendous performances of Davinson Sanchez, Torreira, Sara, and Kaan Ayhan kept Galatasaray on its feet, they also brought the 3 points. (SABAH)