galatasaray battle back to earn europa league spot published: tuesday 8 december 2015, 22.52cet galatasaray 1-1 astana a moment of magic from selçuk inan helped the home side back into the game just as it was slipping away, a point keeping them in third spot. by çetin cem yılmaz from ali sami yen spor kompleksi
galatasaray book place in monday's uefa europa league round of 32 draw astana end first group campaign with four points but no win patrick twumasi scores astana's first away goal of the group stage galatasaray skipper selçuk inan quickly levels astana's next match will be in march when they begin their kazakh title defence
a moment of magic from galatasaray skipper selçuk inan helped fashion a crucial equaliser as astana once again came up just short.
a lively encounter brought chances at both ends, with patrick twumasi and burak yılmaz hitting the frame of the goal before the astana striker broke the deadlock just after the hour. celebrations were short-lived, though, as selçuk rifled in at the other end to ultimately seal third in group c.
for astana it was a familiar story: so near yet so far. the visitors had begun brightly, with the lively twumasi at the heart of the action. the ghanaian forward's pace and power caused problems throughout and having rattled the upright he later sent a dangerous cross across the box that somehow evaded everyone.
galatasaray saved their best chances of the first half until last. two minutes before half-time, on the counterattack, yasin öztekin's shot from outside the box was saved by nenad erić. moments later yasin was the provider, sending burak through one on one with the keeper. the turkey man sent his effort against the post.
twumasi showed greater poise on 62 minutes when he met dmitri shomko's cross from the left first time, but selçuk calmed home nerves when his clever spin helped unlock the astana defence and, when burak was denied the galatasaray skipper was on hand to fire in.
astana could find no way back but exit with heads held high after a campaign that brought only two defeats; galatasaray's adventure continues with the uefa europa league.
