Batrakov's two goals inside 15 minutes decided it

Galatasaray beat VfB Stuttgart 2-0 at Rams Park, with both goals from Aleksey Batrakov coming before the quarter-hour.

Aleksey Batrakov scored at 12 and 15 minutes, and the Champions League tie at Rams Park was largely settled before the quarter-hour mark. The second goal came from a pass by Davinson Sánchez. What followed was a long attempt by Stuttgart to find a way back, and it never produced one.

Galatasaray had more of the ball than they usually do. They held 52 per cent of possession against a season average of 44.3, and they took 13 shots when they normally take 8.3. Expected goals, a measure of chance quality based on where and how a shot is taken, came to 1.05, which is their ordinary level. They did not create better chances than usual; they simply had more of them and used the early moments.

Stuttgart's picture was the reverse. They had 48 per cent of the ball, well short of the 59.7 they usually hold on their travels, and they managed 12 shots against a usual 16. Their expected goals reached 1.85, which is above what they normally produce, so the chances they did make were of better quality. None of them went in.

Galatasaray's defence kept Stuttgart's chances below the level Galatasaray usually concede at home. Stuttgart, meanwhile, allowed more than they normally do away from home. Galatasaray conceded nothing, where they usually concede three, while Stuttgart conceded two, where they normally concede less than one. In other words, the home side's back line did more than it usually does, and the visitors' did less.

Both sides finished below the level you would expect from a Champions League match. The competition averages 3.8 goals a game, and this one had two. Each team also took fewer shots than the league average of 14.6, which is why the match felt tight without ever looking like a flood of chances on either end.

Batrakov was the difference. He took three shots, all on target, and scored twice, which earned him a rating of 9.5, the highest of the match by some distance. Yusuf Akgün created five chances for Galatasaray from the midfield, while Chris Führich had three shots for Stuttgart, only one of them on target.

Stuttgart have taken seven points from three away games and sit sixth in the table. Galatasaray have three points from their three home games and sit 23rd. The gap between the two sides on the table is wider than the gap between their chances on the night.

Player of the matchA. Batrakov2 goals9.5

U. Çakır5 saves7.4

Y. Akgün5 chances created7.2

B. Yılmaz3 chances created7.0