The tone of the match was set early when Galatasaray squandered a gilt-edged chance that left their travelling support groaning. Ilkay Gundogan, arriving unmarked just yards from goal, lashed a rising effort over the bar when it seemed easier to score. Minutes later, Baris Alper Yilmaz muscled past his marker to latch onto a long pass but struck the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy. Those misses offered Monaco a reprieve, but the hosts initially struggled to take advantage. Balogun nodded a free header off target from close range, and a catalogue of near-misses followed as pressure built but composure faltered.
Shortly after the break, Monaco were handed an ideal opportunity to break the deadlock when Takumi Minamino, darting into the area, was upended by former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez. Captain Denis Zakaria stepped forward but failed to convert with a meek attempt, allowing Galatasaray goalkeeper Uuurcan Cakır to stop it away with an outstretched leg.
However, in the end, Balogun’s persistence became the story of the night. For long stretches, he looked destined to leave the field disappointed after spurning a handful of chances. Yet, when Thilo Kehrer nodded a corner into the heart of the six-yard box in the 68th minute, the American reacted fastest, bundling the ball over the line with his knee in the kind of instinctive, unglamorous finish that often separates winning sides from frustrated ones.
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