ISTANBUL (Interstat) — Victor Osimhen scored twice, including a first-half strike just before the break, and Galatasaray held off Fenerbahce 2-1 at Ali Sami Yen Stadyumu in a tense match that turned on the home side’s finishing and a late push from the visitors. Osimhen opened the scoring in the 29th minute and doubled the lead in the 44th, giving Galatasaray a cushion that Fenerbahce could only trim after halftime. The two goals came in a first half that also featured five bookings, and the home side carried that advantage into the interval. The home side improved its season record in this competition to seven wins, one loss and one draw, while Fenerbahce fell to two wins and one loss. Galatasaray’s overall record moved to eight wins, two losses and two draws, and Fenerbahce’s overall mark stood at three wins, two losses and one draw.

Fenerbahce responded through Irfan Kahveci, who scored in the 62nd minute and was one of the visitors’ most active players before being substituted in the 78th. Kahveci’s goal briefly revived the visitors and forced Galatasaray to defend deeper. Kahveci also received a yellow card in the 10th minute, part of a physical opening spell that produced five yellow cards before halftime. Fenerbahce’s Skriniar was booked in the 11th, Galatasaray’s Davinson Sanchez in the 19th, Fenerbahce’s Kante in the 31st and Galatasaray’s Okan Buruk in first-half stoppage time. The card count reflected the derby’s edge, with challenges tightening as Fenerbahce chased an equalizer. Eight yellow cards were issued in all.

Galatasaray’s lead held through the second half despite Fenerbahce’s pressure. Oguz Aydin provided the assist on Kahveci’s goal and was replaced in the 78th minute, while Baris Yilmaz supplied an assist before being substituted in the 64th. Sanchez played the full 90 minutes and contributed an assist while also picking up a yellow card. The yellow-card list grew after halftime: Fenerbahce’s Semedo was booked in the 54th, Galatasaray’s Leao in the 89th and Fenerbahce’s Brown in second-half stoppage time. The visitors pressed for a second goal, but Galatasaray’s compact shape limited clear chances. Fenerbahce’s changes gave the visitors fresh legs, but Galatasaray’s back line kept the final margin intact.

Fenerbahce made a series of changes to chase the game. Greenwood and Mercan came on in the 55th and 56th minutes, respectively, before Aydin and Kahveci were replaced in the 78th. Kante followed in the 83rd. Galatasaray countered with substitutions of its own: Yilmaz in the 64th, then Akgun, Batrakov and Jakobs in the 80th, and Osimhen in the 88th after his two-goal performance. Osimhen’s departure came after he had done the decisive damage, and Galatasaray’s defense protected the one-goal margin through the closing minutes. The home side’s late changes helped slow Fenerbahce’s pursuit of an equalizer.

The result moved Galatasaray to eight wins, two losses and two draws across all competitions and Fenerbahce to three wins, two losses and one draw. Galatasaray entered off a 4-2 win at Lille, while Fenerbahce had drawn 2-2 with Slavia Prague. Fenerbahce also had recent wins over Alanyaspor, Rizespor and Turan Tovuz and a 6-0 loss at Aston Villa. Galatasaray’s recent run included a 1-0 win at Genclerbirligi and a 4-1 home loss to Barcelona, along with a 3-1 home win over Kasimpasa and a 3-3 draw at Pendikspor. Galatasaray also had a 1-0 home win over Kocaelispor and a 3-2 road win over Basaksehir earlier in the campaign. The match was Galatasaray’s first listed fixture in a run that continues with Fenerbahce at Galatasaray on Monday in Super Lig play.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Galatasaray 2, Fenerbahce 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Galatasaray with an 89.3 percent probability to win. Galatasaray had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.25.