Galatasaray down Spurs in Europa League, Man United end wait for win

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: hussainm@newsobahrain.com

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray inflicted a first Europa League defeat of the season on Tottenham with a 3-2 victory in Istanbul on Thursday, while Manchester United got their first win on the board by beating PAOK Thessaloniki.

The Turkish champions have 10 points from four games and have all but secured qualification for at least the knock-out play-off round, while Spurs sit in seventh place after losing their 100-percent record. “We expected it to be a difficult match. We encountered a team as we expected.

They have dangerous players,” said Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou. “We lost because we could not show what we wanted in the first half.

Both teams are doing well in Europe.” Galatasaray took an early lead when Yunus Akgun smashed a sensational long-range volley into the top corner in the sixth minute.

But the visitors hit back just 12 minutes later as teenage striker Will Lankshear marked just his second first-team appearance with a goal by tapping in Brennan Johnson’s pass across the six-yard box. Galatasaray took control before half-time, though, as Osimhen scored twice in the space of eight minutes.

The Nigerian star fired them back in front just after the halfhour mark, before cleverly volleying Dries Mertens’ cross past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Osimhen has now scored six goals in eight appearances for Galatasaray since joining on loan from Napoli.

The home side passed up several opportunities to put the game out of sight for their opponents, but Spurs’ hopes of a comeback were hit when Lankshear was sent off for two yellow-card offences in quick succession in the second half.

Dominic Solanke pulled one back in the 69th minute, shortly after being brought on by Postecoglou, but Galatasaray held on with relative comfort.