Galatasaray handed Stuttgart their first Champions League defeat of the season Tuesday as Russian midfielder Aleksei Batrakov struck twice in a blistering opening 15 minutes to seal a 2-0 victory in Istanbul.
Stuttgart nearly silenced the home crowd early when Jamie Leweling's effort struck both posts, but the Turkish champions quickly seized control.
A defensive error by Jeff Chabot allowed Batrakov to pounce inside the penalty area and unleash a powerful strike into the top corner, sending the home supporters into a frenzy.
The 21-year-old doubled Galatasaray's advantage in the 15th minute, slipping the ball through goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow's legs to cap a ruthless start by the Istanbul side.
Stuttgart thought they had found a way back when Chris Führich scored, but a video review ruled out the effort for offside in the buildup.
The defeat left Sebastian Hoeness' side in eighth place after four of eight league-phase matches, although they risk slipping out of the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16 once the remaining fixtures are completed.
Stuttgart face another difficult test later this month when they travel to Inter Milan.
Elsewhere, Sporting Lisbon climbed to fifth place with a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, courtesy of Issa Doumbia's decisive finish.
The Ukrainian side, sitting 18th in the standings, hosted the match at Stamford Bridge in London.
Sporting were led by interim coach Tiago Fernandes amid expectations that Lyon's Paulo Fonseca will succeed Rui Borges as permanent manager.
Seven more Champions League fixtures were scheduled for later Tuesday, including injury-hit Bayern Munich's visit to Atlético Madrid and defending champion Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Villarreal.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, meanwhile, faced mounting pressure to secure a much-needed victory as his side prepared to host Roma.
