Galatasaray has failed to win its first leg in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The team of coach Okan Buruk did not have an easy time against Zalgiris Vilnius, but seemed to pull the longest straw thanks to hits from Abdulkerim Bardakci and Halil Dervisoglu. In minute 92 it was equalized by a nice goal from Donatas Kazlauskas 2-2. The return is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2. The winner of the diptych will compete in the third preliminary round of the billion dollar ball against the winner of Olimpija Ljubljana and Ludogorets Razgrad.
Angeliño made his debut at Galatasaray. The Spaniard came over from RB Leipzig this summer and immediately received a starting place from Buruk. Former Eredivisionists Dries Mertens, Fredrik Midtsjø and Halil Dervisoglu had to make do with a place on the bench, but they would come in. Kerem Aktürkoglu and Nicolò Zaniolo had to provide the danger from the flanks, while Baris Yilmaz occupied the striker position in the absence of Mauro Icardi. Yunus Akgün was the number 10 on duty. Just like for Icardi, the duel for brand new purchase Wilfried Zaha came too early.
Galatasaray started the game strongly and soon had opportunities through a dangerous cross from Yilmaz and a shooting opportunity from Sérgio Oliveira. The latter saw his effort kept out of the goal by goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas. Galatasaray dictated the pace, although it had to allow a great chance for Zalgiris just after fifteen minutes of play. Mathias Oyewusi, however, saw his shot go just wide. The Turks were not impressed by that moment and soon got new opportunities through Bardakci (rescue Gertmonas) and Yilmaz, who shot wide in a promising position. Galatasaray remained the better party, but there would be no more goals in the first half.
That happened in the second half. First of all it was the turn of Zalgiris, who took the lead three minutes after the break. Oyewusi was too fast for Victor Nelsson, sprinted towards goal and outwitted Fernando Muslera: 1-0. So it was up to Galatasaray to come up with an answer and it came fifteen minutes before time. A cross from Oliveira landed at the far post, where Bardakci was ready to nod in: 1-1. Three minutes later, the Istanbul team cheered again.
A shot from Dries Mertens was turned by Gertmonas, but in the rebound he had to watch how Dervisoglu made it 1-2 via a falling volley close to the far post. Nevertheless, Zalgiris managed to equalize in injury time via Kazlauskas, by finding the far corner in one go from a high cross: 2-2. The goalscorer took off his shirt, which gave him his second yellow card and is therefore suspended for the return.
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