Turkey round-up: Galatasaray back in title hunt

Galatasaray SK moved into second place in the Turkish Super League thanks to a 2-1 home win against Malatyaspor, taking full advantage of leaders Besiktas JK’s inactivity.

Difficult conditions
In heavy snow, Galatasaray secured three important points that took the Istanbul club five points behind leaders Besiktas. The home team took the lead after eleven minutes through Hakan Ünsal, as the defender's left-wing cross deceived Malatyaspor goalkeeper Peter Milosevski and crept into the net. Malatyaspor  striker Sertan Eser levelled the game five minutes into the second half, but midfield player Ergün Penbe restored Galatasaray’s lead six minutes past the hour.

Gençlerbirligi held
Galatasaray moved above Gençlerbirligi SK, who could only draw 0-0 at Göztepe. In a tight game, there were few goalscoring opportunities as Gençlerbirligi struggled to break down the home side, and saw their title challenge falter as a result.

Penalty opener
Meanwhile, fifth-placed Trabzonspor's fine run of form continued with a 3-1 home win against second-bottom side Adanaspor AS. Having initially found it difficult find a way past some determined defending from the away side, Trabzonspor took the lead after 58 minutes with a penalty that midfield player Hüseyin Çimsir successfully converted.

Decisive goals
Two minutes later, fellow midfield player Gökdeniz Karadeniz doubled the home side's advantage, before Fatih Tekke made the points certain, adding a third 14 minutes before the final whistle. Adanaspor scored a last-minute consolation when Ümit Aydin’s spectacular 30-metre cross-shot beat Trabzonspor goalkeeper Michael Petkovic.

Crucial win
In a match between two relegation-threatened sides, Samsunspor took three vital points with a single-goal victory at Istanbulspor AS, thanks to a 25-metre free-kick from Brazilian player Milton after 34 minutes. Elsewhere, MKE Ankaragücü recorded their first win under new coach Tevfik Lav, defeating Altay GK 3-0 thanks to two goals goals from Ghanaian striker Augustine Ahinful and one from fellow forward Hakan Keles.

Games postponed
The matches between Kocaelispor and Bursaspor and Gaziantepspor and Elazigspor matches were postponed due to heavy snow, while the scheduled games involving Diyarbakirspor and Denizlispor and Besiktas and Fenerbahçe SK will be played at a later date, as Denizlispor and Besiktas were both involved in UEFA Cup games in midweek.