In the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round, Galatasaray endured a heavy 4-1 defeat to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, leaving them with a challenging task ahead of the second leg.
AZ Alkmaar opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a goal from Sven Mijnans. Although Galatasaray’s Roland Sallai equalized in the 20th minute, the Dutch team regained control, with Troy Parrott converting a penalty in the 37th minute.
Jordy Clasie added a third in the 57th minute, and David Moller Wolfe sealed the victory with a goal in the 66th minute.
Galatasaray faced further difficulties after Kaan Ayhan was sent off following a second yellow card in the 51st minute, reducing the team to 10 men.
The return leg will be held on Thursday, February 20, at RAMS Park, Istanbul, where Galatasaray will look to overturn the deficit and keep their European hopes alive.
