Galatasaray closed out the group stage of the Turkish Cup with the polish of a side that knows exactly what it wants, beating Alanyaspor 2-1 away to finish Group A with a perfect record and growing momentum.
On a cool evening in Alanya, Okan Buruk’s men combined control with cutting-edge, securing a fourth straight win to top the six-team group with 12 points. Eight goals scored, three conceded, zero blemishes.
The early breakthrough shaped the entire contest.
Barış Alper Yılmaz exploded into the box in the sixth minute and drew a foul that left referee Çağdaş Altay with little hesitation.
Yılmaz took responsibility, rolled the penalty low and hard, and handed Galatasaray a 1-0 lead before Alanyaspor had settled.
From there, the visitors dictated rhythm. Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, Galatasaray relied on the calm authority of Ilkay Gündoğan and Renato Nhaga at the base of midfield.
They recycled possession, shifted play quickly to the flanks and suffocated Alanyaspor’s attempts to build from the back.
By halftime, Galatasaray had 63% possession and had limited the hosts to a single harmless effort.
The second goal in the 29th minute was a product of that pressure. Yılmaz, again central to the action, slipped into space and squared for Nhaga, who timed his run perfectly and finished from close range.
It was his first goal of the campaign and a reward for his relentless work between both boxes.
Alanyaspor, set up in a 3-4-2-1, tried to respond through Ianis Hagi and Efecan Karaca drifting between the lines, but Kaan Ayhan and Ismail Jakobs kept the channels tight. Galatasaray’s high press forced hurried clearances, and Leroy Sané’s pace stretched the back three whenever the visitors broke forward.
The second half brought a different tone. Alanyaspor pushed higher, committing wingbacks forward and introducing fresh legs to add urgency. Galatasaray, perhaps mindful of a packed calendar that includes league and European duties, dropped slightly deeper and focused on game management.
The tension rose in the 78th minute when Steve Mounie punished a defensive lapse at a set piece, steering home to make it 2-1. The goal injected belief into the home crowd and set up a nervy final stretch. Yet Galatasaray showed composure. Gündoğan slowed the tempo, the back line cleared their lines efficiently, and the visitors avoided unnecessary risks.
Yılmaz stood out with a goal and an assist, underlining a rich run of form in 2026. Nhaga’s balance in midfield and Gündoğan’s 92% pass accuracy offered the platform. While the clean sheet slipped away, Galatasaray’s structure never truly collapsed.
Group A also featured Trabzonspor, İstanbul Başakşehir, Fatih Karagümrük and Fethiyespor. Trabzonspor join Galatasaray in the round of 16, while Alanyaspor exit despite a competitive campaign.
For Galatasaray, the numbers tell part of the story. Ten straight unbeaten Turkish Cup matches stretching back to last season. A second consecutive victory over Alanyaspor in five days. A squad rotating without losing edge.
