Shomurodov and Güneş edge Başakşehir past Gaziantep in 3-goal contest

Başakşehir moved past Gaziantep FK with a 2-1 win at Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu, decided by Umut Güneş's 82nd-minute finish from an Eldor Shomurodov assist. The match produced three goals in 74 minutes, with Shomurodov opening the scoring in the 8th minute and Serdar Dursun equalising for Gaziantep in the 66th.

Başakşehir lined up in a 4-2-3-1, Gaziantep in a 4-1-4-1. The shapes produced an even possession split at 50-50, but Başakşehir's first-half control was pronounced: 54% of the ball, a 1.47-0.22 expected-goals edge, and nine shots to Gaziantep's three before the break. Shomurodov's early goal carried a 0.68 xG value, the highest single chance of the match, and set the tone for a home side that repeatedly found space between Gaziantep's midfield line and defence.

Gaziantep's response after half-time changed the game's texture. They flipped possession to 55% in the second period, generated 1.20 xG to Başakşehir's 0.48, and drew level when Serdar Dursun headed in Kacper Kozłowski's assist in the 66th. That goal came from open play and carried 0.26 xG, part of a second-half surge that saw Gaziantep take nine shots to Başakşehir's five and win five corners to none.

Shomurodov's numbers led the individual charts: one goal, 0.68 xG, and the assist for Güneş's winner. His early finish gave Başakşehir a platform they protected through the first half, and his late pass unlocked a Gaziantep defence that had tightened after the interval. Andreas Skov Olsen recorded 0.08 xG, Kozłowski 0.14 xG, Umut Bozok 0.54 xG, and Ivan Brnić 0.11 xG, but none converted. Başakşehir's 1.95-1.42 full-time xG edge reflects a match where chance quality was close, even as the scoreline separated them.

Gaziantep's equaliser arrived in a 16-minute spell that also contained the game's second goal, and for a period the visitors looked the more likely side. Başakşehir's second-half passing accuracy dropped to 84%, and they managed only eight touches in the box after the break compared to 20 in the first half. The substitutions and shape adjustments that followed shifted momentum back: Güneş's 82nd-minute goal, assisted by Shomurodov, came from a move that exploited the space Gaziantep had begun to leave in pursuit of a winner.

Başakşehir's win rests on converting the game's best chance and then finding a late answer when Gaziantep's second-half pressure threatened to flip the result. The 3-goal contest was decided by fine margins: Başakşehir's 3 big chances to Gaziantep's 2, and a 6-4 shots-on-target edge. Gaziantep's 50 duels won to Başakşehir's 30 underlines how competitive the middle third was, but the home side's first-half control and Shomurodov's direct involvement in both goals proved decisive.