Batman Petrolspor kept their perfect start to the 1. Lig campaign intact with a 4:3 victory over Fatih Karagümrük at the Batman New City Stadium on Saturday. The hosts, unbeaten in six matches, saw off a determined away side in a contest that swung from one end to another before the final whistle. by then the result was decided by a single goal, and that was enough to keep them at the top of the table.
Petrolspor went ahead inside sixteen minutes when Ramazan Civelek of Karagümrük turned the ball into his own net. The visitors failed to respond, and Polat Yaldir doubled the home side's advantage just after the break. and here's the thing — Karagümrük had barely touched the ball in the attacking third, and their coach had to make changes before the interval.
The visitors woke up in the second half and came within touching distance twice in as many minutes. Cenk Tosun and Pedrinho exchanged goals, and Aleksandar Pešić then levelled before Ahmed Traore completed the comeback. to be fair Petrolspor had not been outplayed, but they had let the game slip from their grasp in the space of eight minutes.
Polat Yaldir ended a barren spell with his second goal in the sixty-fourth minute, and that proved to be the match-winner. Karagümrük pushed for an equaliser but could not find the net despite having more possession and more attacks. The hosts ran the show in the closing stages and saw the game out without further incident.
Petrolspor managed 43% possession and five shots on target from seven attempts, while Karagümrük had 57% possession but could only hit the target five times from fourteen shots. The visitors created more chances — 93 attacks against 73 — but and here's the thing they could not convert them when it mattered most. Petrolspor committed nineteen fouls to Karagümrük's seven, a reflection of the tension in midfield.
The result keeps Petrolspor top of the table on sixteen points from five wins and one draw. Karagümrük remain eleventh with eight points after two victories, two draws and two defeats. We had backed the visitors to win with 80% confidence, but the match went the other way — and it was the home side's ability to take their chances that broke the forecast.
