Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League aspirations took a significant hit as they suffered a 3-2 defeat against Young Boys in the first leg of the play-off round at Wankdorf Stadium on August 21, 2024. The Swiss team stunned the Turkish champions with an early goal from Joel Monteiro in the 4th minute, followed by another strike from the same player in the 45+4th minute, giving Young Boys a 2-0 lead at halftime.The tide seemed to turn for Galatasaray in the second half when substitute Michy Batshuayi, who entered the game in the 66th minute, scored two quick goals. His first came just a minute after his introduction, and he equalized from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute, bringing the score to 2-2. Batshuayi’s performance was particularly noteworthy as he became the first foreign player to score for one of Turkey’s ‘big three’ teams in European competition.However, Galatasaray’s hopes were dashed in the closing stages of the match. In the 84th minute, defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı received a second yellow card after a VAR review, reducing Galatasaray to ten men. Young Boys capitalized on this advantage, winning a penalty which Filip Ugrinic converted in the 86th minute to secure a 3-2 victory for the home side.The defeat leaves Galatasaray in a precarious position ahead of the return leg, scheduled for August 27 at Rams Park in Istanbul. As Patrick Rahmen of Young Boys noted, ‘They will have a chance if they don’t forget to play football’. Galatasaray will need to overturn this deficit to keep their Champions League group stage hopes alive, with the draw for the next round set for August 29.
Key points
- Galatasaray lost 3-2 to Young Boys in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round.
- Michy Batshuayi scored twice for Galatasaray, becoming the first foreign player to score for a ‘big three’ Turkish team in European competition.
- Galatasaray’s Abdülkerim Bardakcı was sent off in the 84th minute, leading to Young Boys’ winning penalty.
- The return leg will be played on August 27 in Istanbul, with Galatasaray needing to overturn the deficit.
Contradictions👾There is a minor discrepancy in the timing of Abdülkerim Bardakcı’s red card, with some sources reporting it as the 84th minute and others as the 83rd minute or 85th minute.
