September 26, (THEWILL) – Galatasaray defeated PAOK 3-1 in their UEFA Europa League opener at RAMS Park on Wednesday night. The Turkish champions started their 2024/2025 campaign strongly, continuing their impressive record against Greek opposition.
The match remained goalless at halftime despite Galatasaray’s early dominance. PAOK goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. The deadlock was broken shortly after the restart when PAOK’s Baba Rahman inadvertently directed Victor Osimhen’s header into his own net.
PAOK equalised in the 67th minute through Giannis Konstantelias, but their joy was short-lived. Yunus Akgün restored Galatasaray’s lead nine minutes later, capitalising on another Osimhen assist. Substitute Mauro Icardi sealed the victory with a late goal in injury time.
This win puts Galatasaray in a strong position to progress from their Europa League group. The Istanbul club has lost only once in their last 13 group-stage matches in this competition. In contrast, PAOK’s struggles continue, with just one win in their previous 11 Europa League fixtures.
The result bodes well for Galatasaray’s European ambitions this season. Manager Okan Buruk will be pleased with his team’s performance, particularly the impact of Napoli loanee Osimhen, who provided two assists. PAOK, meanwhile, will need to improve if they hope to advance from a challenging group.
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.
