This was the kind of breathless, wild encounter in which both Galatasaray and Tottenham deal routinely and the only surprise was a goal tally that did no justice to a game whose openness beggared belief. In truth Spurs should have been blown to smithereens by hosts who had no idea how to apply the handbrake and had unloaded 28 shots by the end. A stunner from Yunus Akgun and two goals from Victor Osimhen, who had countless other chances, completed their tally by half-time but somehow Ange Postecoglou’s side remained in with a sniff until matters concluded.
That was partly due to a first senior goal for the 19-year-old Will Lankshear, who celebrated in front of a baying home support but was chastened on the hour by a second yellow card. Dominic Solanke offered an unlikely lifeline later on and, although no leveller was forthcoming, this defeat should have little impact on Tottenham’s chances of reaching the knockout stage.
The chances of a quiet affair had been minimal at the outset and that was before anyone considered an atmosphere that, as Postecoglou had acknowledged, was of the type you play football for. Galatasaray have scored almost three a game in streaking clear atop their domestic league and defeated Elfsborg 4-3 in their previous European game here. The who’s who of attacking talent on show was eye-catching and if Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens carry whiffs of late-career payday, Osimhen’s summer arrival means they can field one of the best centre-forwards around.
All of them were temporarily put in the shade within five minutes by Akgun, who was loaned last season to Leicester. It was a sumptuous strike; a masterful exhibition of technique that was all the more impressive given Archie Gray seemed to have done enough in heading Gabriel Sara’s free-kick clear. Running around the ball as it bounced up beyond the D, Akgun connected perfectly and sent it roaring into Fraser Forster’s top left corner.
Then, in a moment the youngster will treasure, the hosts’ stars were eclipsed by Lankshear. They had looked likely to turn the screw, Forster clearing in front of Osimhen and Akgun shooting waywardly when attempting a repeat, but were clinically picked apart in two passes. One of them was clipped diagonally by Gray into the path of Brennan Johnson; the next was a volleyed cross that Lankshear, showing a scorer’s instinct, jabbed in from close range.
Spurs were coping without seven absentees and it had hurt Postecoglou’s rotation options that Mikey Moore, the young winger, missed out through illness. Lankshear justified the decision to rest Solanke but they had been swamped until then and Galatasaray soon resumed the onslaught.
Forster denied a clean-through Osimhen, watched as Mertens blasted the rebound wide, and was fortunate to see the Nigerian have a goal chalked off. But Spurs could hardly be accused of making their own luck and were undone again after the half-hour, Radu Dragusin getting his body shape wrong when receiving a routine pass from Ben Davies and allowing Icardi to nick the ball away. It rolled to Mertens, who slid Osimhen in for a toe-ended finish across Forster and unleashed pandemonium again.
Osimhen saw the whites of Forster’s eyes once more but drew another commendable stop. It was becoming a personal battle and almost immediately he struck another blow. Mertens’ right-sided cross was whipped perfectly and, at waist height, Osimhen cushioned a brilliant finish into the far corner to leave Tottenham praying for the break.
How to stem the tide while saving legs? Postecoglou’s answer was to introduce Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski for Johnson and a marginal Son Heung-min, but the pattern continued. Osimhen missed a free header that, in another dimension, might have brought his sixth goal of the game. A fumble by Forster caused a scramble near the line and then Akgun, taking aim again, saw a volley deflected just wide. In the 57th minute Osimhen looked certain to complete his hat-trick at last but Forster, diving the other way, repelled with a trailing foot.
The barrage was constant; the appetite on Galarasaray’s part to sit back negligible. When Lankshear received another sniff, he could not connect sufficiently and the underemployed Fernando Muslera saved easily.
If that was evidence for Lankshear that not everything will come easily, it had nothing on what followed. He had already been booked and then, perhaps in frustration at being dispossessed near halfway, lunged in on Sara and gave the referee, Lawrence Visser, the simplest of calls to make.
Forster swiftly made flying saves from Baris Alper Yilmaz and Akgun. Tottenham had been peppered and it seemed almost farcical when the recently introduced Solanke, cutely backheeling a centre from Pedro Porro, provided hope. It came to nothing, Kulusevski failing to catch Muslera out in added time, but the evening’s entertainment had been bountiful.
The Nigeria international was sent to Turkey on loan this summer after transfers to Chelsea and Al Ahli fell apart.
It was hoped that this would allow him to get regular playing time and convince previously hesitant clubs that he was worth somewhere close to the release clause in his contract, which has now been lowered from €130m to €90m in the January window, then €75m in June 2025.
That plan may well be working, because the 25-year-old has four goals and four assists in seven competitive games, combining well with former Napoli striker Dries Mertens.
This evening he added to that tally with two goals in just a few minutes to give Galatasaray a 3-1 Europa League lead over Tottenham Hotspur in Istanbul.
It was not Italy international Guglielmo Vicario in goal this evening, but Fraser Forster.
Plenty of Tottenham fans have been delivering their verdicts in our matchday discussion — which you can join here.
With nine matches in the books, there are eight more on the way — Ruud van Nistelrooy oversees his first (and only) European match as Manchester United manager while Jose Mourinho's side are back after drawing 1-1 with United in their last Europa League outing.
Galatasaray forward Dries Mertens made his 67th appearance in the Europa League in tonight's match.
That makes him the outfield player with the most appearances in the competition's history.
He marked the occasion with a pair of brilliant assists for Victor Osimhen.
There were seven other games being played at the same time as this one — here is how they finished:
As Jay says, a baffling game.
On another night, Galatasaray would have scored seven or eight goals before Lankshear's red card. Yet, after that red card, they looked a shadow of the team that had battered Tottenham until that stage.
Osimhen was electric in the first half but he will kick himself for not going home with the hat-trick ball.
One of the games of the season in the Europa League!
That is one of the maddest games of football I have witnessed.
Osimhen ripped Tottenham apart in the first half. Forster made a few crucial saves. Spurs improved after the break despite Lankshear's red card.
It finishes 3-2 to Galatasaray but both sides could have scored more.
They don't get that chance and Galatasaray hang on for all three points in Istanbul!
One of the strangest games of football I can remember and one that is deservingly won by the home side.
Tottenham were awful, then they were horrendous and, in the end, they weren't too bad but the damage was done in the first hour of the match.
Galatasaray remain unbeaten in this season's Europa League, while Spurs' 100 per cent record is no more.
This 10-man Tottenham is far better than the 11-man team is the first half — they are having a real go at getting a point from this match.
But Galatasaray have kept them at bay so far in stoppage time.
Will Spurs get one more chance to salvage a point?
Nearly an unbelievable ending to this game!
With Galatasaray holding a very high line, Muslera was forced to come 30 yards from his goal line and head the ball away from Solanke.
It felt to Kulusevski, who had time to set himself, but his left-footed effort was always curling away from goal and the hosts are let off the hook.
But there are plenty of seconds for Galatasaray to waste!
The fourth official's board shows seven minutes and the Spurs tails are up all of a sudden...
It has taken until the dying embers of this game for Tottenham to find their best stuff on the ball.
They are starting to move the ball nicely in Galatasaray's half, but there is an increasing sense that it is too little, too late.
Every time the ball goes out or goes to hand for Muslera, the home side are able to waste vital seconds.
I can't quite remember ever seeing a team looking so leggy after the opposing team went down to 10 men.
It is like the life has been sucked out of the Galatasaray players — and fans — and there is now a chance Tottenham could take something from this game.
As we saw earlier, it only takes one good attacking move and Spurs certainly have the quality on the pitch to find it, but time is running out.
Ever since Solanke made it 3-2, and before Icardi's injury, a suspicious number of Galatasaray players have been struggling with cramp.
They are slowing the game down which is a compliment to the 10 men of Spurs. I'm not quite sure how the Turkish side have not scored in this second half but if the result stays like this, Tottenham can be proud they did not roll over.
It has been a testing evening but one their younger players will learn a lot from.
This doesn't look good for Icardi. The 31-year-old is down and looking particularly annoyed before signalling to an injury in his knee after going down under no contact.
He was being consoled by Forster before being lifted onto a stretcher and removed from the pitch.
Not quite the ending to this match that the Galatasaray fans will have wanted.
A pair of changes for Galatasaray and there is a hero's ovation for goalscorers Osimhen and Akgun, who both could (and probably should) have finished the game with more goals.
The hosts have looked leggy in the last quarter of an hour so a defender, Elias Jelert, and a midfielder, Kerem Demirbay, have been introduced.
A momentary pause in this chaotic second half as Akgun, scorer of the opening goal, is down with cramp.
It came after he dragged a decent chance wide of Forster's far post from a tight angle, his fifth effort of the game.
Ange Postecoglou looks frustrated.
The ball is finally in the net for Galatasaray... but the linesman's flag is raised again.
It was Icardi who finished nicely from close range having been played through on goal, but he hadn't quite timed his run and the assistant referee was correct to raise his flag.
No need for a lengthy VAR check for that one.
If you haven't seen the stats at the top of this page, Galatasaray have had 26 shots so far!
For reference, Tottenham have had just three...
It feels very strange to even write that considering the level of dominance Galatasaray have had in this match, even when it was 11v11. But, all of a sudden, Tottenham are within reach of getting something from the game.
They probably need the home side to follow them in getting a man sent off to have a chance, but stranger things have happened!
Meanwhile, former Chelsea man Hakim Ziyech has replaced Mertens for the home side.
