In the intense championship battle against their longtime foes, the tension was palpable. - Galatasaray claims victorious league championship!
Champions Again! Galatasaray Triumphs Over Konyaspor in Final Match, Secures 24th Turkish Title
In a highly anticipated clash, Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray emerged victorious against relegation-threatened Konyaspor with a 3:1 scoreline, sealing their status as the 24th Turkish champions. This marks their 16th title win in the past 32 years.
Argentinian sensation Mauro Icardi bagged a brace, ending the season as the top scorer with 25 goals under his belt. The 53rd-minute goal was scored by midfielder Berkan Kutlu, while Konyaspor managed to spark some hope with a 78th-minute strike by Louka Prip.
Galatasaray's stunning victory came as a consolation after previously losing to arch-rival Fenerbahçe in an intense derby a week earlier. Fenerbahçe went on to play their part in the story and emerged as vice-champions with a 6:0 rout of the season's worst team, Istanbulspor.
The victorious club amassed a whopping 102 points, the highest total in the league's history.
Three German imports feature prominently in Galatasaray's championship champion team: Derrick Köhn, a seasoned left-back who made the move from Hannover 96 in winter, Kaan Ayhan, a seasoned right-back who has played for Schalke and Düsseldorf, and Kerem Demirbay, a former German national player who had stints at Leverkusen and Hoffenheim. Lucas Torreira, a Uruguayan midfielder, also contributed significantly with his tempo-setting abilities.
19-year-old Eyüp Aydın, a midfielder from Bayern II, had a short stint at Galatasaray last season and enjoyed a moment of glory with an assist against Konyaspor. Günay Güvenç, the reserve goalkeeper, honed his skills in Germany before keeping his clean sheet in two matches for Galatasaray.
Belgian star Dries Mertens provided an astounding 18 assists, a record unmatched by any player in the top 5 European leagues this season. In the final 10 games, he orchestrated a total of 10 assists.
Muslera, the Uruguayan captain, emerged as the hero of the goalkeeping department, conceding only 26 goals in 37 league matches. With 17 clean sheets, he holds the record for most games without conceding a goal since 2011. Galatasaray has been his home since and signed a two-year contract. His 11-year tenure in the Turkish league is unmatched by any other foreign player.
Okan Buruk, Galatasaray's coach, is celebrating his second title in two seasons at the club. He achieved this victory in his second term following his managerial stint at Basaksehir in 2020, where he turned them into champions. In the Turkish league, he won the Turkish championship seven times, the UEFA Cup, and Supercup in 2000, the only European cups in its history.
With tension mounting between the two Istanbul giants, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, the race for the coveted fifth star and Fenerbahçe's attempts to break their decade-long title-less streak adds to the anticipation of the upcoming season. The forthcoming club presidential election will also closely be watched.
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Source: symclub.org
