Galatasaray on Wednesday booked their place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League as the Lions eliminated Lithuania's Zalgiris in the second round qualifiers' second leg.
It was a scorching day at Rams Park, with 41,505 fervent fans filling the stands, ready to witness a football spectacle.
The first half-hour started cautiously, with both teams testing the waters in the hot and humid weather.
Galatasaray struggled to create scoring opportunities until the 31st minute, when the moment everyone was waiting for arrived.
Dries Mertens, the talented Belgian footballer, stepped up and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, shattering Zalgiris' defense.
The second half rolled on, but the tempo remained low, and both teams had difficulties generating goal-scoring chances.
Zalgiris had a golden opportunity to level the score when Mathias Oyewusi faced Galatasaray's formidable goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, in the 66th minute.
However, Muslera pulled off a crucial save, preserving the lead and securing the victory for his team.
The match also marked the debut of Galatasaray's new star signing, Cedric Bakambu.
The 32-year-old striker, fresh from joining the squad, donned the yellow-red jersey for the first time when he came on as a substitute for Barış Alper Yılmaz in the 79th minute.
With this triumph against Zalgiris, Galatasaray advanced to the third qualifying round, ready to face Slovenia's Olimpija Ljubljana.
The upcoming showdown promises to be thrilling as Galatasaray seeks to secure a place in the play-off round.
The first leg will be an away match, with Galatasaray hosting their opponent in Istanbul for the return fixture.
This victory also marked a significant milestone for Galatasaray, as they broke a longstanding drought in the Champions League qualifiers.
The Istanbulites finally tasted success after a streak of six matches without a win in the "Giants League" qualifier.
The last time they achieved such a feat was back in the 2006-2007 season when they triumphed against Czechia's Mlada Boleslav.
Now, with this renewed confidence, Galatasaray are eager to make their mark on the European stage once again.
One of the most intriguing moments of the match came in the 75th minute when Zalgiris' Nassim Hnid received his marching orders.
However, the decision was challenged and reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which ultimately led to the red card being overturned and replaced with a yellow card.
