Galatasaray needed a second-half strike from their captain to see off a stubborn Kocaelispor 1-0 on Sunday, keeping them narrowly in front at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig after five rounds of the new season.
It was far from straightforward for the Istanbul side. They twice hit the woodwork and had a goal chalked off before Abdülkerim Bardakcı settled matters in the 71st minute with a powerful low drive from distance. Earlier, Lucas Torreira's long-range shot was parried by Kocaelispor goalkeeper Serhat Öztaşdelen, and although Deniz Gül headed the rebound home, a VAR review spotted a foul on the keeper and ruled it out.
Gül hit the post himself in the 31st minute, while Kocaelispor went close at the other end through Dan Agyei on the break. Öztaşdelen was arguably the away side's standout performer, denying Rafael Leao and then tipping Bardakcı's close-range header over before the break. Even after the goal, he pushed Roland Sallai's free kick onto the crossbar. But Kocaelispor couldn't find an equaliser, and Galatasaray held on for a fourth win in five matches.
The result puts the Lions on 13 points, with Kocaelispor sitting on nine. Elsewhere on Sunday, Kasımpaşa won 2-1 away at Gençlerbirliği, and newly promoted Amed Sportif produced the shock of the round, hammering Başakşehir 5-0.
For football-minded travellers, this is why the Süper Lig is worth pencilling into a trip to Turkey. Matches at Galatasaray's RAMS Park in Istanbul are among the most atmospheric tickets in Turkish sport, and the league's unpredictability this season — a newly promoted side putting five past a former champion being the obvious proof — makes it an entertaining way to spend a weekend evening in the city. Games are typically played on weekend evenings, easy to slot around a short city break, and tickets for big Istanbul fixtures are affordable compared with most of Europe's top leagues.
Kocaelispor's return to the top flight adds another option too. Kocaeli sits just east of Istanbul on the Gulf of İzmit, reachable in around an hour and a half by road, so it's feasible to catch a match there as a day trip if you're based in the city.
Whether you follow the title race or just want a taste of Turkish football culture, the early signs this season suggest a competitive, noisy and very affordable spectacle.