Aliaga 2-1 Şanlıurfaspor
Aliaga completed a difficult task on Sunday, securing a 2:1 victory over Şanlıurfaspor in the 2. Lig White Group. The win moves the hosts up to third place in the table, putting them four points clear of the visitors. It was a match decided in the final moments, with the home side showing enough grit to hold off the pressure after a penalty shootout of nerves.
The game opened up in the second half when M. Sarikaya gave Aliaga the lead in the 58th minute. Şanlıurfaspor responded well, earning a penalty and converting it through S. Kurumus in the 79th minute to level the scores. Just as the points seemed destined to be shared, O. Derici scored in the 90+5th minute to steal all three for Aliaga.
By then, the statistics told a story of territory without dominance. Şanlıurfaspor held 54 per cent of possession and won nine corners to Aliaga's two. Yet Aliaga generated more attacks with 136 compared to the visitors' 127. The hosts had to be clinical, and they were, despite playing without the ball for large stretches.
This result sharpens the divide between the two sides in the standings. Aliaga sit third with nine points from four games, having won three and lost once. Şanlıurfaspor remain in 11th place with five points, their record of one win, two draws, and one defeat looking precarious after this defeat.
For Aliaga, the win serves as a necessary correction following a heavy 0:5 loss to Elazığspor last week. Şanlıurfaspor, meanwhile, can only console themselves with a draw against Adana Demirspor in their previous outing. The gap in the table grows, and the momentum shifts firmly to the home side.
