Kamano caps comeback as Lokomotiv earn point in Istanbul

Galatasaray 1-1 Lokomotiv Moscow
UEFA Europa League Group E
Thursday 4 November, NEF Stadyumu, Istanbul

Goals: Galatasaray - Feghouli 43’; Lokomotiv - Kamano 72’

Lokomotiv started brightly in the Turkish capital, pressing high up the pitch early on to earn the first three corners. One of them was met with a firm Gyrano Kerk header after 17 minutes that was cleared off the line by a desperate Patrick Van Aanholt goal line clearance. Vitaly Lisakovich also turned a header just over the bar from a Maciej Rybus cross on the half hour mark.

The hosts’ best chance of the opening period came 10 minutes before the break when a well-worked move lofted a ball over the top to Van Aanholt, but Guilherme was alert to the threat and smothered the ball with ease.

It was the hosts who took the lead on the stroke of half time though, and it was a spectacular strike. Lokomotiv’s defence was caught at sixes and sevens as a rapid counter-attack developed, leaving Sofiane Feghouli in acres of space to pick his spot and curl an unstoppable effort past Guilherme into the top corner.

Lokomotiv heads didn’t drop though, and with the introduction of Fedor Smolov and Francois Kamano in the second half there was added impetus to the Railroaders’ play. 

With less than 20 minutes left, Konstantin Maradishvili chased a ball down the right channel towards the byline, and waited just a moment to choose his moment to fire a hard, low cross into the area. Smolov appeared to be the target, but he let the ball run through to Kamano at the back post to tap into an unguarded net.

Kerk had a glorious chance to set up a late winner with a three-on-three break as his run drew all three Galatasaray defenders with kamano and Smolov racing clear to the left, but he chose to shoot rather than try and find his teammates.

The last few minutes was a frantic end to end affair, with Guilherme tipping a fierce shot onto the near post moments before Smolov’s rocket was tipped behind by Fernando Muslera. The veteran Uruguayan keeper then pulled off a stunning double save to deny Rifat Zhemaletdinov and Smolov from close range.

Galatasaray remain top of the group on eight points, while Lokomotiv stay bottom on two points.

Next Europa League fixtures: Thursday 25 November - Galatasaray vs Marseille; Lokomotiv vs Lazio