Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk expressed his frustration with both the officiating and the outcome after his side were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce on Monday, SportPremi reports.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen returned from injury after missing the Turkish champions last two matches, but could not help his side to maximum points as they conceded a late equalizer as both sides shared the spoils.
The Intercontinental derby lived up to its billing, with the referee awarding seven yellow cards to the players in a feisty encounter.
Duran strikes late as Osimhen makes return from injury
Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen made his anticipated return from a short injury layoff and almost made instant impact, heading wide from the first real chance of the clash.
Leroy Sane then gave the away side the lead with a remarkable attempt in the 27th minute after a pass by Baris Alper Yilmaz.
A moment of controversy followed as Kazimcan Karatas was struck by an object from the stands during the celebration, leaving him with a huge cut on his face.
The German forward displayed quick feet to evade two challenges, before his strike took a deflection and went past Ederson in the Fenerbahce goal.
The hosts pulled one back on the stroke of halftime, although the goal was ruled out after the ball had hit the arm of Milan Skriniar in the buildup.
Ederson denied Osimhen early in the second half, before Leroy Sane fired wide from a promising position.
Galatasaray were heading for victory until Jhon Duran struck in stoppage time, heading home a cross to level matters.
The visitors remain on top of the standings with 33 points, while the home side are second with 32 points after 14 rounds of matches.
What Okan Buruk said
Speaking after the clash, manager Okan Buruk expressed displeasure at the outcome of the clash as his side were minutes away from victory.
“Frankly, there’s nothing to evaluate about the match. Let’s not get too worked up about it. Everyone saw what happened today. Everyone saw what we went through on the field. So, there’s no need to over-evaluate the match”, the 52-year-old revealed.
“We saved our lives here. Kazım was going blind. Two of our players could have broken their legs. We’ll leave here grateful for saving our lives, our legs, and our bodies. Let no one forget, we are Galatasaray too. Galatasaray will unite. I’m making a special call to our fans from here.
After witnessing what happened today, we will show everyone how much support we need to show each other and what kind of Galatasaray we need to create from now on. Let no one worry. There’s nothing to talk about the match”, he concluded.
Galatasaray will return to league action on Friday when they host Samsunspor, while Fenerbahce face Istanbul Basaksehir on Saturday.
