Galatasaray’s bid for a winning start in the Turkish Cup Group C opener fell short as they drew 2-2 with Başakşehir at RAMS Park on Wednesday.
A missed penalty in stoppage time proved costly for the home side.
Başakşehir opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Deniz Türüç’s precise finish gave the visitors a deserved lead.
Despite controlling large parts of the half, Galatasaray struggled to break down Başakşehir’s defense, heading into the break trailing 1-0.
The second half came alive with end-to-end action. Galatasaray equalized in the 51st minute as Davinson Sanchez rose highest to head in Dries Mertens’ free kick.
Başakşehir immediately hit back, regaining their lead just two minutes later through Krzysztof Piatek, who converted a well-worked move to make it 2-1.
Galatasaray kept the pressure on and found another equalizer in the 74th minute. Abdülkerim Bardakcı slotted home from close range, bringing the score to 2-2.
Galatasaray had a golden chance to clinch victory in the dying moments. In the 90+7th minute, Gabriel Sara was brought down by Ömer Ali Şahiner, prompting referee Ali Şansalan to award a penalty.
Michy Batshuayi stepped up, but Başakşehir goalkeeper Muhammed Şengezer made a heroic save, diving to his right to deny the Belgian striker.
Krzysztof Piatek continued his stellar form, scoring his 22nd goal across all competitions this season.
The Polish forward, already leading the Süper Lig scoring charts with 12 goals, proved once again why he’s a key player for Başakşehir.
Başakşehir’s woes
Başakşehir finished the match with 10 men after Onur Ergün received a second yellow card in the 85th minute.
Substituted in at the 75th minute, Ergün’s reckless challenge on Yunus Akgün sealed his dismissal just 10 minutes after his first booking.
Despite the draw, Galatasaray extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches in all competitions.
The last time they suffered a defeat was on Aug. 27, against Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg.
The team’s defensive issues, however, remain glaring. In 27 matches this season, Galatasaray has only kept four clean sheets, conceding 42 goals across all competitions.
Galatasaray will aim to tighten their backline as they continue their pursuit of silverware in both domestic and European competitions.
Meanwhile, Başakşehir will look to build on their resilient performance as they seek to advance in the Turkish Cup.