Goals galore as Galatasaray cruise
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Article summary
Galatasaray SK 5-2 FK Mladá Boleslav Galatasaray hold the upper hand but two late away goals gave Mladá a glimmer of hope for the return leg.
Article body
Galatasaray SK could hardly have asked for a better start in their bid to reach the UEFA Champions League, although two late away goals have offered FK Mladá Boleslav hope for the second leg of this third qualifying round encounter.
Double blow
The tie looked as good as over after the Turkish side roared into a four-goal lead within the space of an hour, but with the clock running down, two strikes in the space of a minute by Miloš Brezinský and Marek Kulič brought the Czech team back into contention. Galatasaray must have been kicking themselves for allowing their huge advantage to slip but they at least restored a three-goal cushion when Sabrı Sarıoğlu made it 5-2 with a last-minute effort.
Good start
Earlier, Galatasaray had taken just seven minutes to go in front when Saša Ilić converted a penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Pavel Kučera and, before the break, the outstanding Arda Turan got the first of his two goals following a defensive error. Veteran striker Hakan Şükür also hit the target for the hosts with a strong shot, though there may be life left in the fixture when the sides meet again on 23 August.
