Victor Osimhen scored twice in the first half as Galatasaray beat fierce rivals Fenerbahçe 2-1 in the Istanbul derby at RAMS Park on Monday night, 26 October, sending the defending champions back to the top of the Turkish Süper Lig.

Osimhen opened the scoring in the 29th minute, finishing a move involving Barış Alper Yılmaz, and doubled the lead in the 44th minute with a header after Davinson Sánchez had driven the ball towards goal. Galatasaray went into half-time 2-0 ahead, having controlled the opening period.

A tense second half

Fenerbahçe improved after the break. Osimhen thought he had completed a hat-trick early in the second half, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The visitors then pulled one back in the 62nd minute, when İrfan Can Kahveci met Oguz Aydin's cross with an overhead kick. Galatasaray held on through a nervy finish, with a late Fenerbahçe header cleared off the line, to claim all three points and move to 22 points from nine league matches.

What the brace means for the title race

The two goals took Osimhen's league tally to eight from seven matches, putting him among the division's leading scorers early in the campaign. More importantly for Galatasaray, the win restored their place at the summit and delivered a psychological blow in a fixture that often shapes the mood of a title race. Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal praised Osimhen as a player but criticised his conduct towards opponents and supporters, saying he "lacks character" — a post-match row that is likely to keep the derby in the headlines beyond the result itself.

Sources: Chronicle.ng and AllFootball.