Over in the Süper Lig, Turkey’s most decorated club, Galatasaray, are vying for a second successive league title under the leadership of Okan Buruk, who has transformed the club’s fortunes after their record-low in 2022.
As of late, things have been much more promising, setting up an eagerly anticipated end to the season with only fierce rivals Fenerbahçe between them and the silverware.
Buruk’s entire system has been very efficient, but their defensive play has not only topped domestic records but set an impressive standard amongst some of the greatest sides across Europe.
After displaying their talents in highly entertaining Champions League ties against Manchester United and Bayern Munich earlier in the campaign, Galatasaray built upon their collective determination and formed a relentless defensive unit that aimed to frustrate opponents and minimise the offensive output they faced.
No season is without its disruptions, but Buruk has had to tackle significant losses to his squad and been able to combine varied individual styles to produce a cohesive and effective side.
This Okan Buruk tactical analysis and scout report will begin to address some of the reasons why Galatasaray have been so impressive in their defensive play, highlighting mid-season alterations and Premier League castoffs who have massively contributed to their success.
Our analysis will also begin to address areas where they have been more deficient, with their high-intensity tactics being unsustainable when facing greater opposition.
Okan Buruk Tactics
When beginning to understand the defensive dominance of Galatasaray in the Süper Lig, their underlying statistics begin to paint the picture as to why they have only conceded 20 league goals this season.
Galatasaray ranks second in Turkey for non-penalty expected goals per 90, with their opponents achieving 0.70 xG, including only 0.15 from set pieces.
In addition, Buruk’s team ranks the highest in the division for the amount of xG they concede per shot attempt, with 0.07, implying Galatasaray work hard to limit the effectiveness and threat of shots that Muslera faces between the sticks.
While these numbers are certainly admirable, doubters may suggest that the threat of opposition is minimised due to their dominance in possession, with opponents in Turkey only accumulating around 39.84% on average.
In order to dispel these thoughts, Galatasaray also excels in their work off the ball, ranking third in the league for defensive duel success (62.6%) and first for challenge intensity with 7.3.
The latter statistic aims to calculate the number of duels, tackles and interceptions achieved per minute of opponent possession, signifying just how fruitful they are in their aggressive defensive approach.
Okan Buruk Tactical Approach & Relentless Pressing
Throughout this season, Okan Buruk has set his side up in the 4-2-3-1 formation, which is imperative to their strengths across the pitch.
Having built an incredibly strong squad ahead of the present season, Galatasaray’s defensive battle begins from the very front, with their attacking quartet instigating their pressing efforts and applying pressure to pin the opponents within their own penalty area.
Like many of the strongest sides in European football, Galatasaray’s number 10 can often press higher to form a partnership with Mauro Icardi.
This then leaves their wingers to aggressively press the opposing full-backs, with a 4-4-2 out-of-possession aiming to nullify initial passing outlets and force longer distribution with an increased chance of a turnover.
Galatasaray’s pressing is backed up by their impressive statistics, ranking first in the Turkish top-flight for both PPDA (6.46) and build-up disruption percentage (11.30).
In their Europa League encounter against Sparta Prague, we get a perfect example of their ability to counter-press when losing possession in the middle third.
Once Sparta Prague are able to execute the interception, Galatasaray pressers spark into action, with Mertens pressing as the 10 from behind whilst both Demirbay and Aktürkoglu look to suffocate the ball carrier and force him out wide.
Doubling up out wide
Galatasaray’s ability to force the ball out wide with their interior presence is one of the reasons why they can be so dominant, with the plan of negating high-percentage chances with the opposition often forced to turn back towards their own half.
This then brings into question the strength of their full-backs, with that department suffering from several changes across the season.
With Angeliño leaving in the winter window, the addition of Derrick Köhn has been welcomed by the fans, with his 10.56 defensive duels per 90 ranking second in the division and looking to cement his place for years to come.
The loss of dynamic Frenchman Sacha Boey to Bayern has certainly been detrimental to their strength on the right-hand side, with injuries to replacement Serge Aurier causing natural right winger Baris Alper Yilmaz to deputise in a much deeper role on occasion.
To combat such problems, we often see Buruk’s wingers buying into the fact that they need to balance their pressing with moments in which they support the full-backs and overload opposing wide players.
Despite the fact that the majority of their talents lie in the technical side of the game, both Zaha and Ziyech are shown dropping into their own half and bolstering Galatasaray’s defensive line, with the Ivorian almost playing LWB with Köhn drifting inside.
When the opponent is in the final third, we can often see either the left or right winger looking to coordinate with their respective full-back and engage in a defensive duel with the ball carrier, in line with their desire to regain possession as quickly as possible.
In their match against Rizaspor, we see both Ayhan and Yilmaz deny the left winger the ability to work the ball towards the by-line and cross into the penalty area.
As the ball is played inside, Torreira can slide across nicely and break up play, making him the lifeblood of this Galatasaray team.
Utility from Uruguay
As expected when playing with the 4-2-3-1, the double pivot is extremely important when offering the perfect balance between creative threat and defensive strength.
Former Arsenal man Lucas Torreira is hugely influential to how Galatasaray work when out of possession, with his mobility and defensive intelligence giving him the edge over his competitors.
In line with his side’s pressing values, Torreira leads the Süper Lig with 76 counter-pressing actions this season, something his versatility allows him to do at various zones in the midfield.
In Galatasaray’s home leg against Sparta Prague, we can see Torreira being proactive and instigating his side’s pressing as a number 10, allowing Ayhan to join Demirbay in the pivot to create almost a 3-2-5 momentarily.
He provides a stern barrier when sitting in front of the defensive line with his ability to break up play and launch the counter, implied through his 11.07 ball recoveries per 90 (99th percentile) in the Champions League.
In moments of need, we also see either member of the double pivot dropping between the central defenders to offer increased support within the penalty area.
Okan Buruk Area Of Weakness
Even though Galatasaray have excelled when preventing the concession of goals, there are aspects in which they can be vulnerable due to the progressive nature of their players.
One of which would be the fact that they consistently struggle in transition, often caught on the counter with their full-backs too high and unable to track back quickly enough.
Much like any other side that looks to dominate possession and increase attacking bodies going forward, Galatasaray have struggled should they become dispossessed in the middle of the park due to the fact that Köhn, in particular, can be so influential in the final third.
While Galatasaray excels in their PPDA, one of the underlying reasons this may be deceiving could be that the opposition requires fewer passes to break into the final third when winning the ball higher up the pitch.
This was evident in their tightly contested match against Kasimpasa, where even a slightly disjointed defensive line put pressure on the central defensive pairing as gaps were exploited on the wings with the ability to slide across the penalty area for a simple finish.
The aggressive nature of Galatasaray’s defensive line doesn’t just extend to their full-backs, as we often see the likes of Victor Nelsson stepping out to get tight to opposing strikers and utilising his physical prowess and tough tackling.
However, as observed in their Europa League loss to Sparta Prague, instances in which he steps up with inadequate cover have left his side incredibly vulnerable with nice interchanges, allowing them to strike in behind with little time to react accordingly.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Galatasaray poses an incredibly tough challenge for opposing teams, with their intense defensive efforts standing out in particular.
With a 100% home record this season in the Süper Lig, the unwavering support of the Cimbom provides an electric atmosphere with a sea of red and yellow welcoming opposing sides ‘to hell’!
Okan Buruk style of play should be commended for his ability to change their fortunes so rapidly, expertly dealing with the loss of influential players and maintaining such a high standard.
Whilst their achievements in Turkish football continue to set the standard, it will be interesting to analyse their ambition in the summer transfer window in an attempt to be more competitive in European football.
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