Galatasaray earned a hard-fought but crucial victory on Matchday 13 of the Trendyol Süper Lig, defeating Gençlerbirliği 3-2 in a match that had everything: a comeback, two red cards and frantic action in both boxes. Okan Buruk’s side once again showed its attacking strength and took the league lead with 32 points.

The match began uphill for the hosts, as M'Baye Niang put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute. Despite dominating possession, Galatasaray failed to react before halftime, running repeatedly into Gençlerbirliği’s defensive resistance.

A storm in 11 minutes: Icardi, Barış and Gündoğan flip the match

Everything changed after the break. Galatasaray came out determined to overturn the score and quickly found its reward. In the 55th minute, Mauro Icardi equalized by pouncing on a loose ball inside the box. Just two minutes later, Barış Alper Yılmaz completed the comeback with a powerful strike that left the visiting goalkeeper with no chance.

The offensive surge didn’t stop, and in the 66th minute, İlkay Gündoğan extended the lead with a precise shot from the edge of the area, capping off an 11-minute burst that erased all of Gençlerbirliği’s solid defensive work.

The visitors’ situation worsened when Thalisson received a second yellow card in the 60th minute, leaving his team with ten men as Galatasaray continued suffocating every attempt to break out.

Gençlerbirliği fights back and scares, but Galatasaray holds on to the top

Despite being a man down, Gençlerbirliği didn’t give up. In the 77th minute, Metehan Mimaroğlu pulled one back, creating tension in the stands at Rams Park and forcing Galatasaray to close out the match with caution.

Tension rose even further during stoppage time, when Roland Sallai was shown a straight red card in the 90+4’, adding another blow in a chaotic finish in which the visitors pushed for an equalizer but couldn’t find it.

With the win, Okan Buruk’s side reaches 32 points and remains at the top of the table. Volkan Demirel’s team, meanwhile, stays on 11 points and continues hovering near the relegation zone.

Next matchday promises high intensity: Galatasaray hosts Fenerbahçe in a derby that could define the season, while Gençlerbirliği visits Kocaelispor in search of vital points.