helsingborg leave galatasaray reeling published: friday 9 november 2007, 0.55cet
henrik larsson put helsingborg on course for a victory which leaves galatasaray point-less after two games.
galatasaray as's chances of qualifying from group h suffered a significant blow as helsingborgs if turned on the style to defeat them 3-2 and leave the turkish team floundering with no points after two matches.
memorable night billed as the battle of the 36-year-old strikers – galatasaray's hakan şükür and helsingborg favourite henrik larsson – it was the sweden legend who enjoyed a memorable night as he set the visitors on their way with a 31st-minute opener. razak omotoyossi doubled lead on 39, and christoffer andersson scored what turned out to be a decisive third with a quarter of an hour remaining either side of shabani nonda's double for cimbom.
poor record galatasaray had drawn one and lost two of their ties against allsvenskan opposition at the ali sami yen stadium, and did not look like reversing that statistic as they slipped two goals behind inside 40 minutes. the opener came via midfielder andreas dahl who picked out larsson after bursting down the right and the veteran drilled a shot from the left side of the area low into the opposite corner. the second also came from the right flank, rené makondele picking out omotoyossi who made no mistake from close range.
all to do the first half was in added time when galatasaray reduced arrears as nonda evaded his marker and coolly nodded in a pinpoint arda turan centre. that provided the spur for the home team to start the second half strongly, and barış özbek, lincoln and nonda all passed up chances before andersson found space on the left and arrowed a shot high into aykut erçetin's net. the arda-nonda axis was also behind the latter's second goal in added time, although it came too late to alter the outcome and left the turkish club with it all to do in their remaining games.
