Galatasaray’s Champions League campaign got off to a painful start as furious supporters turned their frustration towards manager Okan Buruk following a 3-1 defeat to Sporting CP in Lisbon.
The Turkish champions appeared to be heading for a dream start after Gonçalo Inácio inadvertently put the ball into his own net just five minutes into the contest.
But the early advantage quickly evaporated.
Sporting gradually seized control, with Geny Catamo restoring parity before Luis Suárez and Rodrigo Zalazar completed the turnaround in the second half.
The collapse has left Galatasaray supporters questioning Buruk’s decisions, with some fans reportedly going as far as demanding that the coach step down.
The defeat was made more frustrating by the absence of Nigerian superstar Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out after suffering a right adductor injury during Galatasaray’s league victory over İstanbul Başakşehir.
Osimhen had been in devastating form before the setback, scoring six goals in his first four Süper Lig appearances. His absence was therefore always going to leave a sizeable hole in Galatasaray’s attack.
Buruk attempted to fill the void with Barış Alper Yılmaz operating through the middle, but the Turkish forward struggled to provide the same threat as Osimhen.
Galatasaray created opportunities and enjoyed periods of possession, particularly before half-time, but their inability to convert those moments proved costly as Sporting grew stronger after the break.
Turkish football analyst Sinan Engin was among those to highlight Osimhen’s absence, arguing that the Nigerian’s presence could have altered the outcome.
The defeat has also sparked debate over Buruk’s tactical decisions, with supporters questioning whether the manager got his attacking setup right against Sporting.
Buruk himself was unhappy with the match officials. The Galatasaray boss questioned the decision to award Sporting a penalty and also felt his side’s opponents should have been reduced to 10 men following a challenge involving Batrakov.
With pressure now building around the manager, Galatasaray must quickly regroup.
The Turkish giants face another major European test against Barcelona in their next Champions League outing, making Osimhen’s potential return even more significant.
For Buruk, the message from the supporters is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: another poor result could turn the early-season frustration into a full-blown crisis.
