Thank you very much for joining me. Here is Nick Ames’ report from Istanbul.
Join Scott Murray for more live football! He is all over Manchester United v Paok.
Poor Will Lankshear will allows look back on this game with mixed emotions, having scored his first goal for the club and then been sent off. With a full set of players, I think Spurs could have drawn as Galatasaray were very tired at the end.
Some lessons learned for Tottenham, one would hope, after losing for the first time in the competition. Gala are now top of the 36-team table.
Full time! Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham
What an incredible game and a merited victory for Galatasaray.
90+6 mins: Spurs win a free-kick on the halfway line and Torreira is booked for kicking the ball away. There is no lumping it into the box as Spurs try to knock it about but it ends in failure.
90+5 mins: Gala have a very high line and Spurs should just lump it over the top to get Solanke and Kulusevski chasing. It almost works but Solanke is held up by Sanchez.
90+3 mins: Spurs have the ball in the final third but cannot find the right pass in order to create a chance.
Muslera comes 35 yards out of his goal to head clear but sends it straight to Kulusevski. The Swede takes aim from just inside the Gala half but his shot is quite pathetic in the end and dribbles wide.
Bentancur is booked for something or other.
90+1 mins: There is still time for Spurs …
Gala are doing their best to run down the clock.
90 mins: Seven minutes added on.
88 mins: Sarr has the chance to play through Kulusevski but sends the ball straight to Sanchez.
Porro is down holding his nose after having the ball smacked into his face by Bentancur.
86 mins: One big last push from Spurs? Gala look tired and disjointed.
Sara is off and Kutlu on.
84 mins: Icardi is carried off on a stretcher and he does not look happy. Batshuayi is coming on.
82 mins: Icardi tries to put pressure on Forster but then collapses to the ground in agony. Looks like a problem with his knee and a bad one at that, as no contact was made.
80 mins: Demiray and Jelert on, Osimhen and Yunus Akgun off.
78 mins: Solanke tries to break away but Sanchez stops that with a muscly challenge, some would call it a foul but the referee is not one.
Down the other end … Yunus Akgun shoots from inside the box but drags his effort well wide and then goes down with cramp.
77 mins: NO GOAL! Ziyech does extremely well in the middle of the park slips a pass through to Icardi but he is two yards offside when he receives the pass, before slotting it home.
75 mins: Gala have a corner on the right. Ziyech takes it short and the resulting cross is cut out by Bissouma but he runs into trouble. The ball comes back into the box but Icard fluffs his lines.
73 mins: Ziyech is on, Mertens off.
“The only way this night could get worse for Spurs is if Lankshear uses up all of the hot water in the visitors’ shower,” Peter Oh emails. Surely it is more of a bath culture in Turkey.
71 mins: Osimhen goes down clutching his head. I suspect he is just trying to get Dragusin, on a booking, in trouble. Maybe I am just a cynical old man … no I’ve seen the challenge, nothing happened.
GOAL! Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham (Solanke, 69)
Porro pings a ball to the front post, which Solanke flicks in superbly. Game on?
Updated
68 mins: Bentancur flicks a pass blindly inside his own half and it goes straight to Torreira. If Spurs give the ball away easily in their own half once more, I will write to my MP.
66 mins: Solanke and Sarr are on, Maddison and Bergvall out.
Kulusevski seems to be up and about.
65 mins: Some more bad news for Spurs as Kulusevski is down clutching his shoulder after an awkward landing.
Updated
64 mins: Bissouma has gone in the book for complaining to the referee about the red card.
Losing 3-1 would be a decent result for Spurs now.
62 mins: I can’t see the 10 men turning this around.
Speaking of … Yilmaz shoots from 18 yards and Forster parries the ball straight out into danger but a Spurs leg turns it behind before Icardi can finish.
Yunus Akgun then whacks a shot towards the top corner which Forster does incredibly well to stop.
RED CARD! Lankshear
60 mins: Lankshear is dispossessed and becomes incredibly frustrated, thinking he is the victim, and then dives in on Sara. It is a booking and that is his second of the match. On the upside, he commits the foul next to the tunnel and does not have far to walk.
Updated
58 mins: I am starting to finding it quite embarrassing for the Premier League watching this Spurs attempt to pass it out from the back.
Lankshear gets his second chance of the match, spinning inside the box but cannot produce sufficient power and Muslera drops on the ball.
56 mins: More dreadful play at the back allows gift Icardi a chance but he cannot stretch far enough to connect with an Osimhen cross.
Not that he needs to worry because Spurs are very willing to give the ball away seconds later and Icardi does get a shot away, only to see it blocked.
It is almost three seconds later when Osimhen shoots from six yards but Forster just about saves.
54 mins: Lankshear is booked, much to his chagrin, for whacking a Gala defender across the chest. He looks a frustrated figure despite his goal.
Sara is now cautioned for pulling back Maddison but the Spurs made the most of it.
52 mins: Bentancur shows some wonderful skill in the centre circle but Lankshear can’t hold onto the subsequent pass.
Down the other end, Osimhen lurks on the penalty spot and gets a free header from a Mertens cross but sends it over.
51 mins: Yunus Akgun almost gets a second when he whacks a half-cleared corner back at goal but it is deflected wide off Dragusin’s head.
49 mins: Kulusevski goes into the book for a foul on Osimhen. Forster is the latest to perform a glorious error. He comes to claim a simple catch from the free-kick but drops the ball under no pressure, Gala have a few bites at the cherry but somehow Spurs clear.
I have not feared losing work to AI but I suspect the bots could cover this match. ‘Spurs give ball away, Gala shoot.
47 mins: Spurs really are atrocious at passing it out from the back, resulting in Icardi having a fine chance but he whacks his shot over from inside the box.
Second half
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go again!
Bentancur and Kulusevski on for Spurs – Johnson and Son off.
Alternate reading.
Decent …
What a strike from Yunus Akgun 🚀
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024
Galatasaray take an early lead against Tottenham thanks to an absolute rocket of a finish 😱
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/CYVObu3GFg
Half-time reading.
Half time: Galatasaray 3-1 Tottenham
What a relentless 45 minutes. Spurs were architects of their own downfall with some woeful attempts to pass out from the back and gifting Osimhen goals in the process after working hard to get back into the match.
45+1 mins: I am having to watch Spurs pass the ball around the back through my fingers and I don’t even support them.
45 mins: Three minutes added on.
43 mins: Spurs just love giving the ball away. Maddison has barely been involved thus far and that needs to change.
41 mins: Osimhen is really good, isn’t he? I wonder if Manchester City would like someone to challenge Haaland in January …
GOAL! It is a wonderful cross from the right by Mertens to find Osimhen in between two defenders, allowing the striker to cushion the ball into the corner.
GOAL! Galatasaray 3-1 Tottenham (Osimhen, 39)
It did not take long to get the third.
Updated
39 mins: It should be 3-1 after more useless passing around the back from Spurs results in Osimhen being one-on-one with Forster but the goalkeeper does well to save.
38 mins: Icardi is allowed to cut in from the left and take aim for the far corner but his shot is wayward.
Spurs break down the other end but Son’s run down the wing is curtailed by a clip of the ankles from Sanchez.
36 mins: VAR is checking for a potential red card for Bissouma for a challenge on Icardi. That seems a waste of time for everyone as it is barely a booking.
34 mins: Just to add, Dragusin was booked for a foul in the buildup to the goal. A glorious liability.
GOAL! What a stupid goal to give away. Davies passes the ball to his centre-back partner Dragusin who opens his body out because he does not sense any danger but he is immediately dispossessed by Icardi and then Mertens plays the ball through to Osimhen to finish. Dragusin looks unconvincing whenever I see him.
GOAL! Galatasaray 2-1 Tottenham (Osimhen, 32)
Glorious incompetence from Spurs.
Updated
30 mins: NO GOAL! Muslera whacks the ball downfield and Galatasaray keep it in the final third. Mertens clips the ball over the defence to Osimhen in space, allowing him to turn it home. The only problem is that he is a yard offside, much to his surprise.
29 mins: Osimhen takes the ball off a colleague and sends a dangerous cross along the six-yard line but no one can get on the end of it.
27 mins: Gala have a corner on the right and it results in a second corner. Sara swings it in but it is cleared a the front post by Porro.
25 mins: Sara beats the press and slips the ball through for Osimhen who latches onto the pass inside the box but Forster is equally to it and parries to the edge of the box where Mertens is lurking. The Belgian can’t control his shot and sends the ball wide.
23 mins: Bogdan Kotarlic emails: “Loudest atmosphere at a football match for me was back in November 1988, Champions cup, Red Star Belgrade-AC Milan. There were something like 90 thousand fans and all of them yelled and screamed and waved their scarves. It was really insane, I couldn’t hear my best friend who was in the stands next to me. Later in the match, with Red Star leading 1-0 and having a man more because of red card for AC Milan’s Virdis the match was abbandoned due to heavy fog. Crazy atmsophere, I felt shivers all the time and when that fog came in the middle of the second half we didn’t know what was going on, the crowd was still noisy and the fog was very thick so we did’t know what was happening down on the pitch. Those were the days, real fans, proper football, some great players and a lot of memories.”
21 mins: After a moment of calm, the home fans are back up and running. I am not sure they can take credit for Maddison tripping over the ball and sending it out for a throw.
GOAL! Just as I point out Lankshear has been out of the game, Gray chips a wonderful pass over the defence to Johnson who volleys it back across goal for Lankshear to tap home. What a moment for him.
GOAL! Galatasaray 1-1 Tottenham (Lankshear, 19)
A wonderfully well-worked goal to make me look silly.
Updated
18 mins: Gala chuck in a couple of crosses but Bissouma just about clears on both occasions. I wonder if we will see Solanke at half-time to help Spurs get out quickly and give a more physical threat than Lankshear.
16 mins: Mertens gives Bissouma a cynical kick to stop a run and is booked for his troubles.
14 mins: Gray is very much at left-back, in case you were wondering.
Sara chases a ball over the top but Dragusin does well to ensure Spurs earn a goal-kick from the situation.
12 mins: Spurs really need to stop sending loose passes around their defensive third but Gala will capitalise on them soon enough.
Mertens is down and needs treatment so Muslera throws the ball out of play.
10 mins: Maddison does his best to drive through the defence but is stopped on the edge of the box. He thinks it is a foul by Sanchez but the referee disagrees.
I think this is going to be a very fun match …
8 mins: Spurs nearly gift the hosts a second when a backpass is short and Osimhen almost beats Forster to the ball but the goalkeeper slides in to clear. The striker thinks it is a penalty but the goalkeeper does get the ball.
Updated
GOAL! The resulting free-kick from the Maddison foul is whipped into the box and Spurs manage to clear it to the edge of the box where Yunus Akgun is waiting and pings a first-time shot into the top corner. The stadium erupts.
GOAL! Galatasaray 1-0 Tottenham (Yunus Akgun, 6)
WHAT A STRIKE!
Updated
4 mins: Spurs are pressing well as a team as they look to ensure the Gala defence do not have time to play out.
Reuven emails: “Loudest atmosphere, the Baseball Ground, Easter Monday 1992, Derby v Newcastle United.
"6000 Newcastle fans hell bent on supporting their side, facing imminent relegation to Div 3 in old money, backed the team to the hilt. Two red cards before half time and 2-0 down, we roared on the lads to come back to 2-1 with NINE MEN against promotion hopefuls. There were planned pitch invasions to get the game abandoned such was our peril, seats going onto the pitch (not clever) and unrelenting vocal support. “Newcastle United Will Never Be Defeated” (a nod to the Miner’s Strike in there) and “Newcastle Newcastle We’ll Support You EverMore” highlights.
"Derby fans who were there still mention it. We lost 4-1, had three men and Terry Mac sent off, and backed the team to the absolute hilt. It’s still to this day every NUFC fan of a certain age’s favourite away day despite the result and ‘better’ games.
”Shame football now is sanitised nonsense in England’s top flight.”
2 mins: The early thing to note is lots of noise, mainly whistling and booing.
Johnson plays Lankshear through, he takes too much time and Sanchez comes in to bloke. It does not matter as he is a yard offside.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The players are in the tunnel. Spurs seem to be wearing a light blue number while Gala are in traditional red and yellow.
Karen Asad says: “Gala’s front three sure can weave stuff of nightmares for Spurs tonight. It wasn’t long ago that Mertens bagged them for fun against the Europe’s elite … he still does.”
Nicholas Alvarez gets in touch to say: “Good luck for Spurs tonight. Loudest atmosphere was the Uefa cup final 1984 at White Hart Lane as the teams prepared for the extra time kick off … my hair was standing on end!”
Mustafa emails: “On the quality of Galatasaray’s squad, this picture has been doing the rounds of the interwebs and raising chuckles.”
If Galatasaray was a car pic.twitter.com/Sjw5mcZUdT
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) September 3, 2024
Ange Postecoglou: “I am sure the 17 and 18 year olds want to play games at this level and I am sure they will enjoy tonight. It is about tonight for us, we’ve put a lineup out to get the job done. The guys who have come in have played a lot of football whether in the Europa or domestically.
“Galatasaray have massive threats, great individual players in the final third, their games are generally open and we need to try and control that.
“Will, being in and around the squad this year will mean he’s learned from everyone. He did well at Ferencvaros and hopefully he can do the same again.:
I am at Wolves v Southampton at the weekend, which I assume will be equally lively as RAMS Park tonight.
It is probably worth reading this from Ed Aarons on Victor Osimhen from a couple of months ago because everyone seems confused about how the striker ended up in Turkey.
Nick Ames is in Istanbul.
TNT very much making a point about the atmosphere. I will therefore ask the question … what’s the loudest atmosphere you’ve ever experienced?
Will Lankshear is the man playing down the middle for Spurs tonight. He spent time on the books of Arsenal as a kid, like a certain other former Spurs striker.
Should be lively.
I’ve been to RAMS Park on a couple of occasions. Once when Gala beat Istanbul Basaksehir to win the title and last year against Manchester United. It is the most ludicrous place I have ever had to work. Good luck to Nick Ames and friends tonight.
Some pre-match reading courtesy of Michael Butler.
It looks like Gray will be at left-back for Spurs as Postecoglou keep testing to see how many different positions the central midfielder can play.
Starting lineups
Galatasaray (3-4-1-2): Muslera; Kaan Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci; Yunus Akgun, Torreira, Sara, Yilmaz; Mertens; Osimhen, Icardi
Subs: Batuhan Sen, Guvenc, Demirbay, Berkan Kutlu, Ziyech, Jelert, Nelsson, Demir, Batshuayi, Ali Yesilyurt, Efe Akman, Metehan Baltaci
Tottenham (4-3-3): Forster; Pedro Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Lankshear, Son
Subs: Vicario, Austin, Udogie, Dorrington, Bentancur, Sarr, Kulusevski, Cassanova, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett, Solanke
Updated
Preamble
It is three wins in three for Ange Postecoglou in Europe but this trip to Istanbul is the trickiest of the tests thus far. Galatasaray have seven points in the competition and are undefeated this season, winning nine out 10 matches in the Turkish Super Lig. They possess a glorious array of former Premier League and Serie A talent, mixed with some domestic promise and they will be eager to make a mark in Europe.
Spurs have some injury issues to consider after Cristian Romero and Richarlison were injured in the recent victory over Aston Villa. They are already without Micky van de Ven, so the defence will be tested against Mauro Icardi and Victor Osimhen.
It will be a lively night inside RAMS Park.
Kick-off: 5.45pm GMT.
