Galatasaray closed the Süper Lig’s first half exactly where they wanted to be – on top – delivering a controlled, ruthless 3-0 victory over Kasımpaşa at RAMS Park to underline their title credentials and restore their grip on the leadership race.
The tone was set early.
Galatasaray struck in the 10th minute through Yunus Akgün, finishing off a blistering solo surge from Barış Alper Yılmaz that tore through Kasımpaşa’s left side.
From there, the hosts dictated tempo, territory and rhythm, denying their opponents space while patiently probing for a second goal that narrowly eluded them before halftime.
The dominance carried into the second half.
Galatasaray tightened their defensive structure, suffocated Kasımpaşa’s transitions and gradually turned control into certainty late on.
Gabriel Sara doubled the lead in the 82nd minute, and Mauro Icardi – inevitable once again – sealed the night six minutes later to cap a commanding performance.
The win marked Galatasaray’s 13th league victory of the season, lifting them to 42 points after 17 matches, with just one defeat.
Kasımpaşa, meanwhile, suffered their eighth loss and remained on 15 points.
Galatasaray finished the first half of the season three points clear of closest rivals Fenerbahçe.
Having briefly slipped to second on goal difference and a game in hand after Fenerbahçe’s midweek win over Eyüpspor, the yellow-reds wasted no time reclaiming top spot with authority.
Mauro Icardi’s late strike carried historic weight.
The Argentine forward became Galatasaray’s all-time top-scoring foreign player in Süper Lig history, surpassing Gheorghe Hagi.
In his fourth season at the club, Icardi has now scored 70 goals in 110 official matches, 60 of them in 81 league appearances.
He now stands just three goals away from becoming Galatasaray’s highest-scoring foreign player across all competitions.
The opener belonged as much to Yılmaz as to Yunus Akgün.
Picking up the ball deep inside his own half, Yılmaz dribbled past two defenders, surged nearly 50 meters and squared perfectly for Yunus, who calmly finished to open the scoring.
For Yunus, it was his third league goal of the season and his first since Week 6 against Konyaspor. Including two goals in the UEFA Champions League, the academy graduate now has five goals in all competitions.
Gabriel Sara added his second league goal of the season, following his earlier strike against Göztepe. While he remains scoreless in European and cup competitions, his late finish here reflected Galatasaray’s midfield control and late-game composure.
Lucas Torreira will miss Galatasaray’s Week 18 clash against Gaziantep FK after receiving a yellow card in the 68th minute. The booking pushed the Uruguayan midfielder over the suspension threshold.
Galatasaray extended their formidable home run to 27 consecutive league matches without defeat. Since losing to Fenerbahçe on May 19, 2024, they have recorded 22 wins and five draws at home – a streak that continues to anchor their title push.
The win also extended Galatasaray’s unbeaten run against Kasımpaşa to seven league matches. Since their last defeat in the 2021-22 season, Galatasaray have claimed five wins and two draws, scoring 19 goals in that span.
After full time, Icardi led the traditional “üçlü” chant with the fans, a gesture that resonated after recent speculation about his future.
The crowd also invited Yunus Akgün to join the ritual, rewarding another standout display from the homegrown winger.
The match was watched by 34,441 spectators – below Galatasaray’s usual 40,000-plus average but still another strong showing as the club continues to turn home dominance into silverware ambition.
