Batrakov's assist lifts Galatasaray past Kocaelispor

Galatasaray beat Kocaelispor 1-0 at home on 13 September in round five of the Turkish Süper Lig. Gabriel Sara scored the only goal, on 71 minutes.

Alexei Batrakov, coming on at the 59th minute, set up Sara. It was his first goal involvement for Galatasaray, in his fourth appearance for the club since his €25m move from Lokomotiv in August. He had made his debut on 29 August, coming on after the break against Göztepe.

Before kick-off, Galatasaray's supporters held up a banner carrying Batrakov's portrait and the words "Russian Paradise", a reference to a track by the rapper Noggano. Batrakov noticed it, walked over to the stand and posed for a photograph with the fans.

Galatasaray had spent the summer chasing other options too, including Gabriel Martinelli, who turned down an approach before signing for Al Hilal in a club-record deal.

A single contested assist will not settle the argument over Batrakov's price. If he keeps turning up from the bench and adding to goals, the case for the transfer gets easier to make with each appearance.