Galatasaray beat 10-man Besiktas 2-1 in Istanbul derby, Icardi shines with brace

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Galatasaray defeated 10-man Besiktas 2-1 in the Istanbul derby in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.

Galatasaray broke the deadlock when Mauro Icardi made a close-range finish in the 26th minute at Rams Global Stadium.

After four minutes, Besiktas were reduced to 10 men on the field after goalkeeper Mert Gunok was shown a red card, when he tried to block Icardi from a scoring position but accidentaly touched the ball with his hand outside the penalty area.

Milot Rashica was subbed off and replaced by goalie Ersin Destanoglu.

Looking for counter attacks, Besiktas found the equalizing goal in the 69th minute with a close-range goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Argentine star Icardi converted the penalty kick to secure a dramatic 2-1 win over the Black Eagles in the 82nd minute.

Galatasaray increased their points to 25 and captured the leaders spot while Besiktas are left with 16 points on matchday nine fixture.

Fenerbahce will play against Hatayspor at home on Sunday, aiming to take back the leaders spot.

- Footballers carry banners condemning "oppression faced by people of Gaza"

Players of Galatasaray and Besiktas teams held a banner reading "We condemn the oppression faced by the people of Gaza" as they stepped on the field in the stadium.

The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Palestinian resistance group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

At least 4,385 Palestinians, including 1,756 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.