Torreira Shines as Galatasaray Draw Lazio in Thrilling Friendly
Galatasaray and Lazio delivered an entertaining 2-2 draw in their final pre-season tune-up at RAMS Park in Istanbul. While the match may have been labeled a friendly, it had all the intensity and drama of a proper European fixture. And it was Lucas Torreira, the Uruguayan midfielder, who stole the spotlight with a brace that saved the day for the Turkish champions.
The game kicked off under the lights in front of a buzzing Istanbul crowd, and Galatasaray wasted no time. Just ten minutes in, a clever set-piece routine was executed perfectly, with Gabriel Sara whipping in a pinpoint cross that Torreira met with a textbook header into the top corner. It was the perfect start for the Lions, who had been dominant throughout their pre-season run.
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But Lazio, still smarting from a recent loss to Fenerbahce, weren’t about to let the evening go Galatasaray’s way entirely. Around the half-hour mark, an unfortunate moment saw Davinson Sanchez accidentally redirect the ball into his own net while attempting a clearance. Just like that, the game was level at 1-1.
Things got worse for the hosts just before the break. In first-half stoppage time, Mattia Zaccagni calmly slotted home a low finish after a slick through ball from Matteo Cancellieri split the Galatasaray defense. Lazio, despite being less sharp in terms of match fitness, had flipped the scoreline to lead 2-1 heading into the interval.
The second half saw a flurry of substitutions, especially from Lazio, as Maurizio Sarri looked to rotate and assess his squad ahead of the Serie A opener. Galatasaray, meanwhile, pushed forward in search of an equalizer. They came close a few times, but it wasn’t until the 74th minute that they found their breakthrough—and it was that man Torreira again. This time, he latched onto a layoff at the edge of the box and drilled a low shot that beat everyone and nestled into the far corner.
Despite a few late surges from both sides, neither could break the deadlock again. And so, the match ended 2-2—a fair result in what had turned into a proper back-and-forth affair. For Galatasaray, it capped off a strong pre-season, remaining unbeaten and full of momentum heading into the Super Lig campaign. For Lazio, though still visibly building up their rhythm, there were signs of promise—and plenty of questions still being worked out ahead of their domestic return.
So while it may have just been a friendly, this match gave us drama, quality, and a performance to remember from Lucas Torreira, who looked more than ready to lead Galatasaray into the new season.
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