Davinson Sanchez has made quite the impact at Galatasaray with the former Tottenham Hotspur defender threatening to make 2023/24 the ‘Super Lig Sanchez’ season.
As Okan Buruk’s side cruised to a 3-0 win away to Ankaragucu on Sunday night, it was their summer signing from Tottenham who stood out head and shoulders above the rest. At both ends of the pitch, mind you.
Not only did Davinson Sanchez double Galatasaray’s lead with just 14 minutes on the clock, a goal that would not have looked out of place in the enviable collection of team-mate Mauro Icardi, the Colombian was then colossal at the back, keeping yet another clean sheet while ensuring that the Instanbul giants enhanced not only the points difference between themselves and rivals Fenerbahce but the goal difference too.
Tottenham sold Davinson Sanchez to Galatasaray
“If Galatasaray becomes champion, we can call this season the ‘Super Lig Sanchez season’,” Turkish reporter Ugur Meleke tells Hurriyet, insisting that there has been no one in the division quite as influiential as a player who joined from Spurs in September for around £9 million.
“This season, Davinson Sanchez is the leader of Galatasaray’s team.”
Sanchez’s awareness, aggression and recovery pace has allowed Buruk to instil a high-line system with huge success in recent months. Galatasaray have conceded only 14 top-flight goals all season long.
“As a centre-back, it is tremendous that Davinson can push his team’s defence line so high,” Meleke adds. “(Sanchez can) be in the right place so often and win such crucial balls. If Galatasaray finishes this year as champion, I think we can call this season the ‘Super Lig Davinson Sanchez season’.”
Sanchez, who once cost Tottenham a club-record fee of £42 million when he arrived from Ajax back in 2017, left at the end of last summer after falling down Ange Postecoglou’s pecking order. He is now the latest Premier League export to find a new lease of life in Turkey, with Wilfried Zaha, Paul Onuachu and Fred producing eye-catching performances of their own.
Galatasaray close in on Turkish Super Lig title
“We scored the second goal (through Sanchez) very early,” Buruk tells BeIN Sports, Galatasaray sweeping Ankaragucu aside to move a step closer to retaining a title they won in 2023.
“Our opponent went down psychologically. We played the first half very well. We were the superior side in the whole match. At the end of the day, the most valuable thing for us was three points.
“The players change, but our understanding of the game does not change. When we look at the first half of this game, Davinson provided the right pressure at the right time.”
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