Galatasaray Draw 3-3 with Rennes in Goal-Fest
Galatasaray drew 3-3 with French side Rennes in a friendly match played at RAMS Park, while fans protested the management over transfer issues.
Galatasaray, champions of the last four Süper Lig seasons, drew 3-3 in a goal-filled match against French representative Rennes, hosted at home as part of preparations for the new season. In the match played at RAMS Park and officiated by Oğuzhan Çakır, the yellow-and-reds twice took the lead but failed to maintain their advantage. Galatasaray's goals were scored by Victor Osimhen in the 18th minute, Gabriel Sara in the 49th minute, and Barış Alper Yılmaz from a penalty in stoppage time, while Esteban Lepaul scored a hat-trick with three goals for the visiting team.
In the match, the first half ended 1-1 after Osimhen and Lepaul exchanged goals. In the second half, Galatasaray took the lead through Sara's goal, but Lepaul first scored with a header and then converted a penalty to put Rennes ahead 3-2. In the final minutes of the match, the home side also won a penalty; the foul was committed on Barış Alper Yılmaz, who converted it himself to make it 3-3, determining the fate of the match. With no further goals in the remaining minutes, the teams left the pitch with a 3-3 draw.
With this result, Galatasaray failed to secure a win in their fourth preparation match ahead of the new season. The yellow-and-reds could only defeat Ümraniyespor during this period, while losing 2-0 to Monza and 3-0 to Venezia; in four matches, Galatasaray managed to score only against Ümraniyespor with five goals, while conceding a total of nine goals. The team's inconsistent performance both in attack and defense created a picture of unease within the club.
Before and during the match, approximately 10,000 fans in the stands voiced their reaction toward President Dursun Özbek and the management regarding transfer issues. In the match where chants such as 'Dursun Özbek, where are the transfers' and 'Our patience is running out, where are the transfers' were heard, Lesley Ugochukwu, who joined the squad on loan from England, appeared before fans at RAMS Park for the first time wearing the team jersey. Galatasaray will face their final test in new season preparations on August 8 against Villarreal.
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