Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray defeated bitter rivals Fenerbahce 2-1 in a heated Istanbul derby on Monday night, sending the defending champions back to the top of the Turkish Super Lig after nine matches.
The Nigerian international struck twice in the first half at RAMS Park to secure a crucial victory for Okan Buruk's side, who moved to 22 points from nine games, while Fenerbahce dropped to fifth place with 16 points.
The fiercely contested encounter was marked by confrontations between players, with tensions boiling over into a mass brawl after the final whistle.
Galatasaray started brightly, with Baris Alper Yilmaz forcing Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ederson into an early save.
The visitors nearly took the lead in the 26th minute when Davinson Sanchez's attempted clearance from N'Golo Kante's cross struck the post.
However, Osimhen broke the deadlock three minutes later after exchanging passes with Yilmaz before driving into the penalty area and firing a powerful effort into the top corner.
The former Napoli striker almost doubled his tally in the 38th minute, but Ederson produced a fine save to deny him.
Osimhen eventually grabbed his second goal in the 44th minute, heading home after Sanchez redirected the ball towards goal following a long throw-in from Ismail Jakobs.
Galatasaray dominated the opening 45 minutes, registering 11 shots, including six on target, while Fenerbahce struggled to create clear opportunities.
The hosts continued to threaten after the restart, with Jakobs striking the crossbar in the 55th minute following a cross from Roland Sallai.
Fenerbahce pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute through Irfan Can Kahveci, who produced a spectacular overhead kick from an Oguz Aydin pass, beating goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir despite the shot-stopper getting a hand to the ball.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Galatasaray held firm.
Milan Skriniar came close to levelling the score in the 90th minute, only for Mario Lemina to produce a crucial goal-line clearance.
However, the drama continued after the final whistle as players and officials from both teams became involved in a heated confrontation.
The trouble reportedly began following an exchange involving Fenerbahce's Kerem Akturkoglu and Galatasaray's Roland Sallai before spreading to other players.
Fenerbahce defender Archie Brown and Galatasaray captain Abdulkerim Bardakci were involved in a physical confrontation, with security personnel intervening to separate the players and restore order.
Both Brown and Bardakci were reportedly shown red cards following the post-match altercation.
The derby had already witnessed an early flashpoint when Fenerbahce striker Romelu Lukaku and Bardakci clashed within seconds of kick-off, prompting players from both teams to intervene.
Despite the ugly scenes, Osimhen's performance remained the major talking point as the Nigerian took his tally to eight league goals this season, strengthening his position among the Turkish Super Lig's leading scorers.
The victory also extended Galatasaray's unbeaten home league run at RAMS Park to 40 matches, underlining their impressive record in front of their supporters.
For Fenerbahce, the defeat represents another setback in their pursuit of the league title, leaving them six points behind their city rivals after nine rounds of matches.
Galatasaray will now look to build on their derby victory when they face Konyaspor in their next league fixture.
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