We started the game in control and soaked up the pressure exerted by our arch rivals. Much was owed to the return of Fabio Luciano and Marco Aurelio to the line-up after the Milan defeat. The difference was noticable.

Deniz Barış started the game in the centre of midfield with Aurelio and Stephen Appiah, who could well be rated as the man of the match. Nobre also started with Nicolas Anelka up front.

Necati Ates got the first clear chance of the game, having to watch the ball go agonisingly wide of the post after a deflection from Deniz. Sasa Ilic was also close in the 20th minute, but Önder Turacı cleared before he was given a second chance.

Orhan Ak got the next close shave, hitting a header centimetres wide of Volkan Demirel’s left hand post. While we looked more in possession, we were unable to play an effective final ball and the home side’s chances certainly stood out more.

Appiah assisted Nobre with an excellent pass after picking up a loss of possession from Hasan Şaş. The Brazilian run onto the pass, let the bounce happen, before chipping Faryd Mondragon with a well executed poke in the 45th minute.

With the start of the second half, Tuncay Şanlı, who was his typical self in the first half, dribbling with pace but failing with the final ball, played a good ball to Anelka in the 54th minute, but the French star surprised with a lame shot which found the immediate Stjepan Tomas.

Appiah’s long shot went just went over the bar in the 57th minute. Eight minutes later, a manic 60 seconds characteristic of the derby was witnessed. Orhan Ak’s close range header was saved spectacularly by Volkan, then a counter attack which saw Anelka one-on-one with Mondragon was saved by the Colombian. Both sides were denied a goal each and the score remained at 1-0.

Substitute Ümit Karan was also close in the 75th minute. The home side grew increasingly frustrated while we were wasting valuable counter attacks. Alex de Souza, out for the third game in a row, was much missed for his passing skills and dead ball delivery.

The home side increased the pressure with the closing minutes but couldn’t find the equaliser and a 1-0 victory was confirmed with the referee’s final whistle. This is our first win in the Ali Sami Yen for five years.

Venue: Ali Sami Yen
Referees: Serdar Tatlı , Baki Tuncay Akkın , Alparslan Dedeş 
Galatasaray: Mondragon , Cihan , Song , Tomas , Orhan , Hasan Şaş  (46 Sabri ), Saidou , Iliç  (79 Ayhan ), Ergün  (59 Ümit ), Hakan , Necati 
Fenerbahçe: Volkan , Serkan , Önder , Luciano , Ümit , Appiah , Aurelio , Deniz  (56 Kemal ), Tuncay , Nobre  (90 Mehmet ?), Anelka 
Goal: 45 Nobre (Fenerbahçe)
Booked: 5 Orhan, 90 Sabri (Galatasaray), 76 Volkan, 77 Luciano (Fenerbahçe)
Sent off: 86 Orhan (Galatasaray)