Galatasaray beaten 2‑0 by Monza in Austrian pre‑season friendly
On 24 July 2026, Galatasaray played its first preparation match of the summer at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, Austria, against Italian Serie B side AC Monza. Monza took the lead in the 23rd minute when Andrea Carboni headed in from a corner and doubled the advantage in the 49th minute via Patrick Cutrone after a set‑piece. The Turkish side finished the game 2‑0 down.
Galatasaray started with a mixed lineup of regulars and fringe players, including Günay Güvenç, Elias Jelert, Victor Nelsson, Kazımcan Karataş, Arda Ünyay, Roland Sallai, Lesley Ugochukwu, Gabriel Sara and Ada Yüzgeç. Coach Okan Buruk used the match to assess young and loan‑returning players, noting that about ten squad members were still missing and that many of the starters would not feature in the next competitive games. He praised the physical effort, highlighted the performance of Victor Nelsson and Lesley Ugochukwu, and confirmed that the next preparatory fixture will be against Venezia on 27 July.
The result gave Monza a confidence boost ahead of their upcoming summer series fixtures, while Galatasaray will continue to fine‑tune its squad before the domestic season begins.