The game began brilliantly for Gala as Johan Elmander flicked the ball over the defender and almost had a clear shot at goal except for the defender to swoop in and bring the ball to safety. GS believed they had a reason for a penalty kick but there was no call from the referee.

Finally, Necati Ates sent Engin Baytar through down the right hand side who had no pressure. He took his time by cutting back and patiently waited for Necati to sprint into the box and saw his cross headed in by the 32 year old at the 28^th minute who had then scored his second goal in three games. 1-0 Galatasaray.

Baytar saw his rocket blast off the cross bar midway through the second half.

Mersin scored an unlikely equalizer in the 76^th minute even after Gala’s domination. However, the scoring wasn’t even close to over. 1-1.

Just four minutes later, Ates was brought down in the box. Selcuk Inan stepped up to the spot and hammered the pk into the top left corner. 2-1 Galatasaray.

At the 90^th minute, Emre Colak led a Gala counter attack towards Mersin’s goal and saw his shot parried away by former Besiktas keeper Hakan Arikan. Ates controlled the rebound and shot the ball into the air but Arikan miraculously slapped it away. With the defense watching, Necati controlled the ball again and as Arikan approached, he calmly lobbed it in. 3-1 Galatasaray.

Gala were not finished attacking yet as this time right back Sabri Sarioglu sprinted down the right flank and sent the ball over to Necati right in front of goal and even though he attempted to slide tackle the ball into the empty net, the defender jumped in his way and cleared the danger.

The game would end 3-1 to the Istanbul side’s favor, extending their lead to nine points. The return of Ivory Coast international, Emmanuel Eboue certainly brought some life back into the team. He was solid in his position at right mid and Gala were able to create a lot from that side of the field.

Next week, Galatasaray will play host to rivals Besiktas. The first time around the two sides drew a blank at Besiktas’s Fiyapi Inonu Stadium. At Galatasaray’s Turk Telekom Arena, the home side will be slightly favored but both sides will have a lot to prove. Bragging rights and three points are at stake. Stay tuned and enjoy.