Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham came to rue “self-inflicted” wounds after a 3-2 loss to Galatasaray in a game which was described as “absurd” and “mad”.
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Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray inflicted a first Europa League defeat of the season on Tottenham to move top of the table with the victory in Istanbul on Friday.
The Turkish champions have 10 points from four games and have all but secured qualification for at least the knock-out play-off round, while Spurs sit in fifth place after losing their 100-percent record.
Galatasaray took an early lead when Yunus Akgun smashed a sensational long-range volley into the top corner in the sixth minute.
But the visitors hit back just 12 minutes later as teenage striker Will Lankshear marked just his second first-team appearance with a goal by tapping in Brennan Johnson’s pass across goal.
Galatasaray took control before half-time, though, as Osimhen scored twice in the space of eight minutes.
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The Nigerian star fired them back in front just after the half-hour mark, before cleverly volleying Dries Mertens’ cross past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Osimhen has now scored six goals in eight appearances for Galatasaray since joining on loan from Napoli.
The home side passed up several opportunities to put the game out of sight for their opponents, but Spurs’ hopes of a comeback were hit when Lankshear was sent off for two yellow-card offences in quick succession in the second half.
Sky Sports’ Pete Gill described it as “plain silly” from the 19-year-old, who will no doubt be better for the experience.
Dominic Solanke pulled one back in the 69th minute, shortly after being brought on by Ange Postecoglou, but Galatasaray held on in what Gill described as an “absurd game”.
Speaking to reporters after the loss, Postecoglou said his team “paid the price” for cheap turnovers.
“Especially in the first half we gave the ball away too much,” Postecoglou said.
“Not because of the opposition, we just lacked some composure and we needed to be a bit more calmer on the ball and because we weren’t we allowed Galatasaray to get a foothold in the game.
“We kind of knew if we could keep the ball well in the first half we’d finish strong but we didn’t do that and paid the price.”
Postecoglou later described them as “self-inflicted” wounds, adding that the team was far better at taking care of the ball after Lankshear was sent off.
“We had real simple solutions out there to keep the ball and as we showed with 10 men, it wasn’t that difficult to do,” he said.
“We just didn’t and individuals within that just needed to be stronger on the ball and make sure we just play the kind of football we try and do every week. We didn’t do that.
“Maybe it was the changes I’ve made and the environment… but the moments that stick out to me are the moments where there’s no pressure on us and we’re still giving the ball away. We need to be better in those moments.”
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Eintracht Frankfurt are second in the standings, behind Galatasaray on goals scored, after Omar Marmoush’s 13th goal of the season clinched a 1-0 win against Slavia Prague.
The Egyptian clipped a superb free-kick in off the crossbar shortly after the break.
Athletic Bilbao are in third, separated from Eintracht also by goals scored, after coming from behind to grab a 2-1 success at Ludogorets.
Inaki Williams and Nico Serrano both scored in a two-minute burst from the Basque club.
Roma’s disappointing form this season continued as Kevin Mac Allister’s goal 13 minutes from time secured Union Saint-Gilloise their second point of the competition with a 1-1 draw in Belgium.