Turkish club Galatasaray has shown its dominance on the way to becoming Turkish Süper Lig champions. With 35 shots and 14 on target against Bodrumspor, who attempted to "park the bus" with a five-man defense, the game contrasted sharply with their match against Fenerbahçe. In that game, Bodrumspor played with a three-man defense and rested about six of their first-team players from the starting lineup.
Bodrumspor's attempt to park the bus was evident in their single shot on goal throughout the match and zero on target. Honestly speaking, I expected more from the match, but it seems that Bodrumspor's coach failed to take the "haram ball" advice from the king of "park the bus," José Mourinho. Mourinho, as the former Inter Milan coach, stopped Barcelona in the 2010 UEFA Champions League semifinals with his peak "haram ball" tactics. Coincidentally, Mourinho is now the coach of Fenerbahçe.
While Fenerbahçe is six points behind Galatasaray with a match in hand, their previous meetings with the league leaders have not ended well for them. In three encounters, Fenerbahçe has suffered two losses and one draw, including a painful exit from the Turkish Cup, where Victor Osimhen, Mourinho's number one tormentor, played a key role.
To be fair to Mourinho, he has described Victor Osimhen as one of the best African players. And let me tell you, Mourinho has always had a soft spot for African players, from Didier Drogba to Michael Essien.
Now, back to the match. Galatasaray won 2-0 thanks to a Lucas Torreira header off a Gabriel Sara cross in the 29th minute and a Davinson Sánchez goal from a Yunus Akgün assist. Interestingly, Torreira, who is one of the shortest players on the pitch, rose higher than both his teammates and opponents to score. And Gabriel Sara’s delivery? Perfect. There’s a reason crosses are left for him to deliver. The midfield trio of Sara, Lemina, and Torreira is on fire. Lemina is a beast, especially when it comes to defending and ball recovery. He makes Torreira's job easier and provides cover for Sara, who tends to lose the ball easily.
Sadly, Osimhen couldn’t extend his lead as the Turkish Süper Lig’s top scorer today. To be fair, he did have some chances, though most of them were half-chances. It also seemed like Bodrumspor’s defense had been specifically instructed to hunt Victor throughout the match.
Nevertheless, Galatasaray has done its job in this important match as it seeks to defend its Turkish Süper Lig title and clinch its 25th title, which would also earn them their fifth star.
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