Mass confrontation after just twelve seconds: Galatasaray and Fenerbahce derby heats up immediately

It took just twelve seconds for the first clash in the Süper Lig derby between champions Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Fenerbahce played the ball back from the centre circle to goalkeeper Ederson, who sent a long ball forward. Twelve seconds in, Gala defender Abdülkerim Bardakci and Fener striker Romelu Lukaku challenged for it. Bardakci trapped the Belgian's arm before falling to the ground himself. Lukaku pointed an accusing finger at him, and players immediately crowded around. Even the assistant referee, who rushed onto the pitch, could not stop the confrontation.

After players from both teams pushed and jostled, things calmed down somewhat, although Lukaku continued to hurl vicious insults at his opponent. The referee eventually called Bardakci and Lukaku over to settle the matter.

Lukaku then played little part in the derby for a while. His Gala counterpart Victor Osimhen took centre stage instead, scoring twice before half-time to give Cim Bom a thoroughly deserved 2-0 lead (29th, 44th minutes). Fenerbahce managed just one shot on goal in the first hour. Their most dangerous moment came when Gala player Davinson Sanchez diverted a clearance against his own post.

How have Gala and Fener fared in recent weeks?

A derby win over their arch-rivals would see defending champions Gala retain top spot in the Süper Lig, while fifth-placed Fenerbahce would be six points behind the leaders. Fenerbahce have also endured a difficult few weeks in the Champions League. They lost 6-0 at Aston Villa on matchday two, then squandered a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 home draw against Slavia Prague last week. Those results put coach Ismail Kartal's position under severe pressure.