Goalless at the Eskişehir Atatürk Stadium

Yesterday Galatasaray played seventh placed side Eskişehirspor and drew 0-0 at the Eskişehir Atatürk Stadium.

 Gökhan Zan and Hakan Balta featured in the Lions' starting line up for the second consecutive week, Felipe Melo returned from his suspension after missing the past four Süper Lig matches due to allegedly spitting at Beşiktaş player Oğuzhan Özyakup. Both Fatih Terim and Hasan Şaş watched this game from the stands due to showing unsportsmanlike behaviour towards the referee in last week's game against Orduspor. 

In the first half the Lions' defense and Muslera were kept busy from preventing the Es-Es from scoring, the home side had many opportunities to go ahead, including a headed effort from former Galatasaray player Necati Ateş which was kept out by Muslera. 

The Es-Es kept on testing the Uruguayan keeper who kept on denying the home side from scoring time and time again. Galatasaray had a chance to go ahead in the first half when Sneijder delivered a curling freekick into the Eskişehirspor goalmouth, Burak got a head to it, however his effort went over. 

Just like in the Orduspor game Galatasaray were very poor in the first half, many were questioning if they could outshine their opponents in the second half like in last week's 4-2 win at home. However, this was not the case and the home side dominated again. Sabri could have put the Istanbul side ahead when Eskişehirspor keeper Ruud Boffin punched the ball directly to the Galatasaray skipper who rushed his shot and ended up blasting the ball and what could be described as a 'row z' effort.

Eskişehirspor gave the Lions a fright at the very end of the game when Rodrigo Tello crossed the ball into one of the Es-Es strikers who's effort hit the cross bar, minutes later the same thing happened with another Eskişehirspor player hitting the crossbar. The Lions were well and truly saved by the bar in the dying minutes of the game. 

The draw in Eskişehir keeps the Istanbul side in first place, they are seven points clear with forty seven points, Beşiktaş move into second place from beating bitter rivals Fenerbahçe 3-2 at the İnönü Stadium. The Black Eagles are now on forty two points, whilst the canaries are seven points behind Galatasaray.   

It was a disappointing performance and Eskişehirspor were unlucky not to win the game, Drogba admitted after the game that the team were lucky and hopes that the next few days are used wisely to analyse their performance. It looks like Terim will have to continue to test the water so to speak with his new signings, especially with the Champions League game against Schalke in a fortnight's time.

GALATASARAY:  Muslera, Sabri, Gökhan, Semih, Hakan, Amrabat (Reira 46 mins), Melo (A. Yılmaz 71 mins), Selçuk, Sneijder, Drogba, Burak