Galatasaray secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League last 16 playoff round after finishing 20th in the 36-team group stage, marking the first time a Turkish club has progressed under the tournament’s expanded format.
The Turkish giants entered the final group stage match with 10 points from three wins, one draw and three losses.
They traveled to Manchester’s Etihad Stadium for a showdown against English powerhouse Manchester City, needing a positive result to improve their seeding.
City dominated early, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Rayan Cherki added a second goal in the 29th minute, sending the home side into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Galatasaray responded with a more aggressive second-half display, but neither team could alter the scoreboard. The match ended 2-0 in favor of City, leaving Galatasaray 20th in the group, while City finished eighth with 16 points and direct entry into the last 16.
Turkish coach Okan Buruk made a triple substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Lucas Torreira, Eren Elmalı and Yunus Akgün, adjusting both midfield and attack. Ismail Jakobs shifted to left forward and Mario Lemina dropped back to center-back. Despite these changes, Galatasaray struggled to break City’s defense.
Victor Osimhen had two notable chances but was denied by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, preventing the Nigerian forward from becoming Galatasaray’s top-scoring foreigner in European competition.
Uğurcan Çakır also delivered key saves, keeping the deficit at two goals with stops against Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders.
Mario Lemina will miss Galatasaray’s playoff first leg after receiving a yellow card in the match, his third of the tournament. The draw on January 30 will determine whether the Turkish side faces Juventus or Atletico Madrid.
The loss marked Galatasaray’s first defeat to an English team in European competition since December 2014, snapping a five-match unbeaten streak against English opposition.
Conversely, Manchester City recorded their first victory against a Turkish team in UEFA history, with Pep Guardiola claiming his inaugural win against a Turkish side.
City’s Belgian winger Jeremy Doku, who supplied both assists for City’s goals, exited injured in the 37th minute.
Galatasaray’s qualification makes them the first Turkish club to advance under the Champions League’s 36-team format, highlighting a milestone in Turkish football history despite a tough final group stage fixture.
