Galatasaray vs VfB Stuttgart: Batrakov Blitz Decides

Istanbul had its answer before the first quarter-hour was out. Galatasaray beat VfB Stuttgart 2–0 at Rams Park in the first competitive meeting between the clubs. The whole night hinged on three minutes in which Aleksey Batrakov scored twice and ended the German side's unbeaten run in this Champions League campaign.

The evening began in silence. According to Die Welt and VfB Stuttgart's official website, both teams and the crowd observed a minute's silence before kickoff in memory of Jesús de Miguel. The 30-year-old CD Tenerife forward died from injuries sustained in a severe on-pitch collision.

Then the noise began. More than 45,000 spectators whistled at every Stuttgart touch, and the visiting players acknowledged it was among the loudest atmospheres they had ever faced. When Batrakov scored, even some journalists in the press box jumped up to join the celebrations.

Batrakov punishes Stuttgart in a three-minute blitz

The opener arrived in the 12th minute. Roland Sallai drove a low cross into the box, Jeff Chabot failed to clear it decisively and knocked the ball straight to Batrakov, who hammered a first-time shot from 12 metres into the top corner. It was a cruel moment for Chabot, who was making his 100th competitive appearance for Stuttgart.

Three minutes later, a single pass undid the visitors again. Davinson Sánchez split the defensive line with a long through ball, Batrakov ran clear behind the defence and slid his finish between the legs of goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow.

The two countries read those minutes very differently. German reports dwelt on unforced defensive blunders that handed the game away early. The Turkish press celebrated the ruthlessness of the home side's opening 15 minutes.

For Batrakov, the double extends a productive spell. He has now scored in four of Galatasaray's last six matches in all competitions and has five goals in 12 appearances this season. Turkish outlets were quick to hail his European form as sensational.

Leweling and Führich left cursing as Stuttgart fall short

Stuttgart's night could have taken a different shape. In the 8th minute, before either goal, Jamie Leweling hit both posts. German coverage singled it out as the kind of misfortune that defined their evening.

It soon got worse. Captain Atakan Karazor had been booked in the second minute for a hard challenge. According to VfB Stuttgart's official website and Die Welt, he then suffered a painful dead leg in an early challenge on Victor Osimhen and was substituted in tears of frustration after just 18 minutes.

The numbers explain the visitors' sense of grievance. Both sides finished with 13 shots, Stuttgart put five on target to Galatasaray's four, and possession was split almost evenly at 52% to 48%. Galatasaray never pinned the visitors back. They were simply far more clinical in the moments that counted.

Stuttgart thought they had a way back in the 75th minute. Deniz Undav's effort came back off the crossbar and Chris Führich curled the rebound into the net. VAR ruled the goal out because Undav had been in an offside position.

The night did bring two milestones for the visitors. Yanik Spalt, a 19-year-old Austrian midfielder, and Danish midfielder Nikolas Nartey both made their Champions League debuts.

Tempers flare as Buruk turns on Kavanagh

The match was rarely far from boiling over. Late in the first half, a heated clash between Barış Alper Yılmaz and Führich sparked a mass confrontation in front of the dugouts. Undav was drawn into it as well, and his appearance in Istanbul had already attracted intense attention from the German and Turkish media.

Okan Buruk was unhappy with how English referee Chris Kavanagh handled the physical side of the game. According to A Spor and Milliyet, the Galatasaray coach asked why Stuttgart's challenges did not bring more yellow cards and whether a tackle on Mario Lemina deserved a red. The home side had already demanded a red card for Karazor's early challenge.

“An English referee, but he used his decisions in favour of the opponent,” Buruk said, according to A Spor and Fanatik. He was more generous about Stuttgart's football: “A team with very high attacking power, but one that also gives up a lot of chances.”

His complaint sits awkwardly with the card count. Stuttgart received five yellows to Galatasaray's three. Buruk's grievance, in other words, was about the decisions Kavanagh did not make rather than the ones he did.

Galatasaray climb as Amedspor showdown looms

This was Galatasaray's fifth consecutive win in all competitions, a run that includes the 4–2 victory at Lille and the derby win over Fenerbahçe. They have now scored in each of their last seven matches, with 17 goals in that stretch.

In the league phase, Buruk's side now sit 18th on six points from two wins and two defeats. After the Lille result they were 23rd on three. Stuttgart, with two wins, a draw and a defeat, are 10th on seven points, and their unbeaten start is gone.

The Turkish press is already framing this as a turning point in the push for the knockout stages. There is little time to enjoy it, because a top-of-the-table Süper Lig clash with surprise second-placed Amedspor follows on November 7.

Stuttgart leave with an uncomfortable lesson. They matched Galatasaray shot for shot and still left Istanbul with nothing, undone by three minutes they will want to forget.