September 21, (THEWILL) – Galatasaray delivered a crushing blow to their fierce rivals Fenerbahce with a 3-1 victory in the Intercontinental Derby on Saturday.
The match played at the packed Sukru Saracoglu Stadium saw the reigning Super Lig champions extend their perfect start to the season.
The visitors took an early lead through Lucas Torreira’s long-range effort, which found its way past Fenerbahce goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Dries Mertens doubled Galatasaray’s advantage before the half-hour mark, cleverly chipping the ball over Livakovic after being expertly set up by Victor Osimhen.
Galatasaray continued their dominance in the second half, with Gabriel Sara adding a third goal following a well-worked move. Fenerbahce managed to pull one back through Edin Dzeko’s penalty, but it proved to be merely a consolation as Galatasaray held on for a convincing win.
The result sees Okan Buruk’s side maintain their 100% record in the Super Lig, having won all six of their matches so far this season. For Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, the defeat marks their first loss of the campaign and leaves them five points adrift of their Istanbul rivals.
This victory in the 401st Intercontinental Derby between the two Turkish giants gives Galatasaray an early advantage in the title race. The champions will hope to build on this momentum as they aim to defend their Super Lig crown, while Fenerbahce must regroup quickly to keep pace at the top of the table.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
