VfB Stuttgart suffered their first defeat of this Champions League campaign, losing 2-0 away to Galatasaray after conceding twice in the opening 15 minutes. Despite a stronger second half and several chances, the visitors could not overturn the deficit.
Stuttgart made a promising start, but Jamie Leweling struck both posts with a shot in the eighth minute. Galatasaray took the lead four minutes later when Alexei Batrakov fired into the top corner after a defensive error. The 21-year-old Russian scored again in the 15th minute, sending the ball through goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow’s legs.
The match remained intense after the break, with Stuttgart pushing to get back into the game. Chris Führich, Deniz Undav and Dzenan Pejcinovic all tested Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, while a 75th-minute finish from Führich was disallowed for offside.
“We started the Champions League well, and we won’t let this take us off our path,” Führich told DAZN. He said Stuttgart needed to make more of their chances if they wanted to earn points in Istanbul.
The result followed two wins and a draw for Stuttgart in the league phase, weakening their chances of qualifying directly for the round of 16. Their fifth league-phase match is at home against Inter Milan on November 25.
Sources: FAZ.