Galatasaray Draws with Corum FK in Season Opener
Victor Osimhen opened the Turkish Super League season with a statement – and a warning. Two goals, one point, and a loud reminder that even champions can be rattled.
Galatasaray’s title defence began with a jolt at home, a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Corum FK that felt far closer to a defeat than the scoreline suggests. The champions led, lost control, then clung on.
Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, sweeping in the first goal of the 2026/27 campaign and, for a while, restoring the familiar script at Rams Park. Galatasaray on the front foot, the crowd in full voice, the champions apparently easing through a tricky-looking opener.
Corum FK tore that script up in a flash.
On their Super League debut, they refused to bow to the occasion. Alexandros Kyziridis struck, Jesus Ramirez followed, and suddenly the promoted side were leading the champions in their own stadium. Two quick, ruthless punches, and Galatasaray were staggering.
The noise inside the ground changed. Anxiety replaced expectation. Every Corum break carried menace, every misplaced Galatasaray pass drew groans. As reported by TV100, the visitors looked capable of walking out with all three points and one of the shocks of the early season.
Osimhen wouldn’t let it happen.
Deep into the closing stages, the Nigerian striker stepped up again, dragging his team level and salvaging a draw that felt like an escape. His brace didn’t bring victory, but it underlined exactly why Galatasaray built their attack around him for this demanding season.
After the final whistle, Okan Buruk cut a frustrated figure. The coach faced the media knowing this was not how champions are supposed to start.
“We're not 100% ready. No team is 100% ready, and neither are we,” he told GS TV, pointing to the disrupted rhythm of a calendar reshaped by the World Cup and the ongoing preparation phase. The explanation was there, but so was the sting.
“We're disappointed, of course we are. We're not used to this kind of thing. We're used to winning, especially at home. We've always played that dominant game. Maybe there have been matches where we played worse and still won. We will do better, we will do it in time.”
That last line felt less like a defence and more like a promise.
Galatasaray had already seen an early warning sign. Yunus Akgun thought he had taken the honour of scoring the league’s first goal, only for VAR and the offside flag to intervene. The moment went to Osimhen instead, his 53rd-minute finish officially opening the new season.
Yet the afternoon never settled into the comfortable routine the home fans expected. Corum FK grew in belief, then in authority. Their comeback, even without the fairy-tale ending, sends a clear message: they have not come up just to make up the numbers.
They leave Istanbul with a point, pride, and proof that they can hurt the biggest names in the division. For a debut in the top flight, it is a powerful platform.
For Galatasaray, the reaction now becomes crucial.
Next up is Erzurumspor away, another newly promoted opponent and the champions’ first road test of the season. On paper, it looks like an opportunity to reset, to turn frustration into a sharper, more ruthless performance.
But after Corum FK’s fearless display, nothing about these newcomers will be taken lightly.
Osimhen has already shown he is ready. The question, after an opening stumble, is how quickly the rest of Buruk’s side can catch up.
