Gaziantep vs Galatasaray: Overview

Galatasaray SK started their Süper Lig title defense in emphatic fashion with a commanding 3-0 victory over Gaziantep FK at the Kalyon Arena in the opening fixture of the 2025-26 season. On a warm August evening in southeastern Turkey, the champions demonstrated why they remain the team to beat with a clinical performance that silenced the home crowd.

Barış Alper Yılmaz emerged as the standout performer, converting two penalties (12' and 45+12'), while Eren Elmalı added a third in the 16th minute to give the visitors an unassailable lead before halftime. The match atmosphere initially crackled with opening-day optimism among the Gaziantep faithful, but that enthusiasm quickly dissipated as Okan Buruk's men took control.

The Istanbul giants maintained their perfect head-to-head record against Gaziantep FK, extending their dominance over the home side with a display that combined tactical discipline and attacking flair. Lucas Torreira orchestrated proceedings from midfield, while new signing Leroy Sané provided glimpses of his quality on his competitive debut.

This result places Galatasaray at the summit of the Süper Lig table from the outset, sending a clear message to potential challengers like Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş that they intend to maintain their grip on Turkish football's top prize. For Gaziantep FK and coach İsmet Taşdemir, this defeat highlights the significant gap they must bridge to compete with the league's elite, as they begin the season rooted to the bottom of the standings.

"We couldn't have asked for a better start to our title defense. The team executed our game plan perfectly, especially in the first half when we created numerous chances and were clinical in front of goal. Barış showed great composure with both penalties, and I'm pleased with how our new signings integrated into the team. This is just the beginning of a long season, but it sets the right tone for what's ahead," reflected Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk.

"It's always special to score in the first match of the season, and to get two goals is even better. We worked hard in pre-season to be ready for this moment, and I think we showed tonight that we're determined to defend our title. The team performed brilliantly as a unit," said Barış Alper Yılmaz, Galatasaray's two-goal hero.

"We must be honest and admit that Galatasaray were superior in all aspects today. The early goals made it very difficult for us to implement our strategy. We need to learn from this defeat, improve quickly, and show our true capabilities in the coming matches. This is just one game in a long season," stated a disappointed İsmet Taşdemir, Gaziantep FK's head coach.

"The gap between the top teams and the rest in the Süper Lig seems to be growing. Gaziantep looked overawed from the first whistle, while Galatasaray played with the confidence of champions. If other teams can't raise their level, we could be looking at another one-sided title race," commented former Turkish international and pundit Rıdvan Dilmen on the match.

Possession: Gaziantep FK 32% - 68% Galatasaray SK

Shots (On Target): Gaziantep FK 7 (2) - 18 (9) Galatasaray SK

Corners: Gaziantep FK 3 - 7 Galatasaray SK

Yellow Cards: Gaziantep FK 3 (M'bakata, Kozłowski, Maxim) - Galatasaray SK 1 (Lemina)

Red Cards: Gaziantep FK 0 - Galatasaray SK 0

Individual Performances:

• Barış Alper Yılmaz (Galatasaray): 2 goals, 3 shots on target, 89% pass completion
• Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray): 97 touches, 94% pass accuracy, 7 ball recoveries
• Leroy Sané (Galatasaray): 4 key passes, 3 successful dribbles, 2 shots on target
• Alexandru Maxim (Gaziantep): 2 shots, 3 key passes, 1 yellow card
• Günay Güvenç (Galatasaray): 2 saves, 100% claim success, 82% distribution accuracy

The statistical dominance of Galatasaray was evident throughout, with the champions controlling the tempo and creating far more meaningful chances than their opponents. The visitors' midfield trio of Torreira, Lemina, and Sallai won the battle in the center of the park, completing 241 passes between them compared to Gaziantep's entire team total of 215 passes. This control allowed Galatasaray to dictate play and capitalize on their technical superiority in the final third.

12' - GOAL! Gaziantep FK 0-1 Galatasaray SK. Barış Alper Yılmaz converts from the penalty spot after Leroy Sané was brought down by Salem M'bakata in the box. The German winger's quick feet proved too much for the Gaziantep defender, who lunged in recklessly.

16' - GOAL! Gaziantep FK 0-2 Galatasaray SK. Eren Elmalı doubles the visitors' lead with a powerful header from Leroy Sané's pinpoint cross. The left-back made a late run into the box that went completely untracked by the Gaziantep defense.

34' - Close call for Gaziantep as Alexandru Maxim's free-kick from 25 yards strikes the crossbar with Günay Güvenç beaten. The home side's first real chance comes from their captain's excellent set-piece.

45+10' - Penalty to Galatasaray! After a lengthy VAR review, the referee points to the spot following Myenty Abena's handball from Roland Sallai's shot. The decision appears harsh as the ball struck Abena from close range.

45+12' - GOAL! Gaziantep FK 0-3 Galatasaray SK. Barış Alper Yılmaz steps up again and sends the goalkeeper the wrong way for his second penalty of the night, effectively ending the contest before halftime.

58' - Tactical shift by Gaziantep as coach İsmet Taşdemir makes a triple substitution and switches to a 3-5-2 formation in an attempt to gain more control in midfield.

79' - Golden opportunity missed by Gaziantep's Christopher Lungoyi, who fires over from six yards after excellent work by substitute Juninho Bacuna. A goal at this stage might have given the home side a glimmer of hope for a comeback.

The dominance of Galatasaray SK over Gaziantep FK continues with this victory, maintaining their perfect record in this fixture since Gaziantep's promotion to the Süper Lig in 2019. The Istanbul giants have now won all 12 competitive meetings between the clubs, scoring 31 goals while conceding just 7.

This latest 3-0 scoreline actually represents an improvement for Gaziantep compared to last season's encounters, which ended in 5-1 and 4-0 defeats. However, the manner of the loss—with all three goals conceded in the first half—suggests the gap in quality remains substantial.

Key individual battles highlighted this disparity, particularly in midfield where Lucas Torreira and Mario Lemina overwhelmed Gaziantep's central pairing. Kacper Kozłowski, despite his talent, struggled to influence proceedings against Galatasaray's experienced international stars. Similarly, the duel between Leroy Sané and Kévin Rodrigues was decidedly one-sided, with the German winger consistently beating his marker to create dangerous situations.

The defensive partnership of Davinson Sánchez and Abdülkerim Bardakcı proved impenetrable for Gaziantep's forward line led by Emmanuel Boateng, who was limited to just 16 touches in his 72 minutes on the pitch. This defensive solidity has been a hallmark of recent Galatasaray victories in this fixture, with the champions now keeping clean sheets in 7 of their last 9 meetings with Gaziantep.

As this rivalry continues to develop, Gaziantep will need significant improvement to challenge the established hierarchy and secure their first-ever positive result against Turkey's most successful club.

After the opening fixture of the 2025-26 Süper Lig season, the early league table shows Galatasaray SK taking immediate control at the summit with 3 points and a +3 goal difference. Their emphatic victory gives them an early advantage in terms of goal difference over other potential title contenders who are yet to play their first matches.

Gaziantep FK find themselves at the foot of the table with 0 points and a -3 goal differential, though this position will likely change as other fixtures are completed over the weekend. Nevertheless, this defeat places immediate pressure on İsmet Taşdemir's side, who finished in the lower mid-table last season.

For the defending champions, this perfect start aligns with their ambition to secure back-to-back titles and maintain their status as Turkey's premier club. With strengthened squad depth featuring marquee summer signing Leroy Sané making an immediate impact, Galatasaray have laid down a marker for competitors like Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.

Gaziantep's primary objective this season remains securing their top-flight status, and despite this disappointing start, they'll be targeting points in upcoming fixtures against mid-table opposition. Last season's struggle against relegation suggests another challenging campaign may lie ahead, with this opening defeat doing little to alleviate concerns among supporters at the Kalyon Arena.