In a breath-taking seven-goal thriller that tested the nerves of RAMS Park, Galatasaray outlasted Amed Sportif 4-3 Saturday night to head into the international break atop the Turkish Süper Lig table.
With the victory in Week 11, the Lions reached 28 points, claiming their ninth league win of the campaign while extending an astonishing home unbeaten streak to 41 matches (33 wins, 8 draws).
The result equaled the longest home unbeaten record in club history, matching the legendary run set between May 2017 and November 2019.
Galatasaray have not dropped a domestic league match in front of their home supporters since a 1-0 derby setback to Fenerbahçe on May 19, 2024.
High-octane action
Galatasaray needed just seven minutes to unlock the visitors' defense. Lucas Torreira picked out Portuguese star Rafael Leao, who drove into the left side of the penalty area before tucking a precise finish past goalkeeper Alban Lafont.
The strike marked Leao’s second goal in as many matches following his tally against Konyaspor, representing the winger’s first back-to-back goal-scoring streak since his spell with AC Milan in January 2026.
The hosts doubled their cushion on the stroke of halftime. Emerging 21-year-old Russian midfielder Aleksey Batrakov squeezed a shot from a tight angle in the 45th minute, with Lafont unable to keep the ball out as it went down as an own goal.
Galatasaray appeared to put the match out of reach in the 59th minute when Batrakov uncorked a long-range strike from outside the penalty box that took a heavy deflection off Amed defender Bates, wrong-footing Lafont for a 3-0 lead.
The effort capped an incredible stretch for Batrakov, who has posted six goals and two assists over his last eight official appearances across all competitions.
Furious fightback
Refusing to fold in their maiden Süper Lig fixture against Galatasaray, the newly promoted side mounted a furious second-half fightback.
Dia Saba sparked hope for the visitors in the 62nd minute, curling a brilliant free kick from the edge of the box past Uğurcan Çakır despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball.
Just three minutes later, Gift Orban met Furkan Soyalp’s pinpoint cross from the left flank with a powerful header to trim the deficit to 3-2.
Sensing a dramatic shift in momentum, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk relied on his attacking depth to steady the ship.
In the 80th minute, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Sara combined down the wing before Sara delivered a pinpoint cross for Barış Alper Yılmaz, who rose high to head home his second goal of the season and restore a 4-2 lead.
Sara nearly added a fifth two minutes later, but his curling strike rattled the near post.
Amed Sportif refused to go quietly into the Istanbul night, pressing forward in stoppage time. In the 90+2nd minute, a scrambled sequence involving Krasnic and Lutin inside the area ended with Yira Sor slotting home to make it 4-3, ensuring a tense final whistle before Galatasaray clinched all three points.
International Break Momentum
The victory capped a dominant stretch for Galatasaray, marking their sixth consecutive victory across all competitions, including high-profile UEFA Champions League wins over Lille (4-2) and Stuttgart (2-0).
It also marked the fourth time this season Buruk’s side scored four goals in a single match.
The historic fixture marked the first-ever top-flight Süper Lig meeting between the two clubs, following two previous encounters in the Turkish Cup.
Furthermore, the victory extended Buruk's remarkable domestic home record against foreign managers, moving to 18 wins and 3 draws in 21 Super Lig matches at RAMS Park.
With 28 points safely bagged and history matched, Galatasaray head into the international break flying high at the summit of Turkish football.