Astana salvages draw with Galatasaray in Champions League

Astana also lost their first Champions League game to the Portuguese side Benfica.

Furthermore, while Astana impressed in winning all three of their home matches in qualifying for the Champions League main-draw against HJK Helsinki, Maribor and APOEL Nicosia, they are yet to face a side of the calibre of Galatasaray who just last season completed a Turkish league and cup double and added players of the calibre of German worldwide forward Lukas Podolski to their ranks over the summer.

Colombian midfielder Roger Canas produced an 89th-minute equaliser just moments after the Turkish visitors appeared to sew up three precious points in Group C, much needed after they had lost their opening match in the competition to Atletico Madrid.

Hamza Hamzaoglu’s side were the more threatening side throughout the first half, despite Astana enjoying the greater possession for long periods.

Astana made a positive start but were grateful to goalkeeper Eric as he denied Wesley Sneijder in the fifth minute. Astana then forced Fernando Muslera into action, with the Uruguayan stopper diving down low to keep out Georgi Zhukov’s strike. Kisa gives Galatasaray the lead with a great, swerving strike from 35 yards out from Sneijder’s short pass. Then, Astana broke up the other end, where midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic had his shot kept out by Muslera.

With 88 minutes showing on the clock, Muslera punched out a cross but only as far as Roger Canas, standing at the edge of the area.

With 12 minutes to go the hosts finally found a way through as Junior Kabananga chased down Semih Kaya inside the Galatasaray penalty area and, having robbed the defender, his low cross evaded Muslera’s dive and struck Balta on its way into the net.

A awful mistake from Eric allowed Galatasaray to retake the lead four minutes from time, though, as the Serbian “keeper diverted Sinan Gumus” cross over his own goal line.

After all, Astana are the first Kazakh club ever to partake in a UEFA competition group-stage whereas Galatasaray are competing in their fourteenth group stage campaign and their fourth in a row.