Fenerbahçe left it late, but Jhon Jader Durán delivered when it mattered most, scoring an 89th-minute equaliser to secure a 1–1 draw against rivals Galatasaray in a heated edition of the Turkish Intercontinental Derby at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Softfootball reports.
Galatasaray who came into the game looking to respond after a disappointing 1–0 home defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League, started the clash in full control. Victor Osimhen, recently finishing top three in the CAF African Player of the Year award and making his first 90-minute appearance since returning from injury, nearly opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a towering header that flew just over.
Five minutes later, the visitors made their dominance count. Leroy Sané produced a moment of brilliance on the left wing, dancing past two defenders before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike that took a deflection and wrong-footed the goalkeeper to put Galatasaray 1–0 up.
Fenerbahçe finally woke up around the 40th minute when Nelson Semedo whipped a cross into the box and Marco Asensio struck first-time, but his effort flashed wide. Minutes later, the hosts thought they had equalised, only for VAR to chalk the goal off due to a handball by Milan Škriniar in the buildup.
The second half brought more pressure from Galatasaray. Just four minutes after the restart, Osimhen tested Ederson again with a curling effort, but the Fenerbahçe keeper responded with a sharp save. In the 59th minute, Davinson Sánchez who played all 90 minutes and nearly created a goal surged,forward and delivered a teasing low cross that found Sané, whose shot went inches wide of the far post.
With the game slipping away, Fenerbahçe threw bodies forward, dominating possession but struggling to create clear openings. Their persistence finally paid off near the end. five mintues into stoppage time, second-half substitute Jhon Jader Durán, who injected life into the attack after coming on for the final half-hour, met a perfect delivery from Mert Müldür and powered home a precise header to spark wild celebrations in the stadium.
Durán’s late strike ensured Fenerbahçe remain unbeaten this season, though they stay second in the Turkish Super Lig one point behind leaders Galatasaray, who move to 33 points.
After the game, fenerbache posted the results on their official X handle, the team dugged in deep and never gave up until it got the much needed equalizer, now one point separates both sides as the title race is shaping up to be a real cracker. They posted:
For Fenerbahçe, the draw feels like a rescue act. For Galatasaray, especially after the midweek Champions League disappointment, it feels like a win that got away.
