Galatasaray Wins Turkish Soccer League, Edges City Rival Fenerbahce On Final Day

ISTANBUL: Galatasaray clinched the Turkish league title on Sunday, edging city rival Fenerbahce with a record total of 102 points.

Galatasaray needed just a point in its final game at Konyaspor, and won 3-1 with talismanic striker Mauro Icardi scoring twice to raise his league-leading total to 25.

Fenerbahce won 6-0 at home to last-place Istanbulspor to finish three points back on 99, the second-highest tally ever for a 38-game season in the league.

Fenerbahce had delayed the title celebration by one week when it won 1-0 at Galatasaray last Sunday — the only points the champions dropped at home all season.

Fenerbahce now has been league runner-up six times since its last title in 2014. The team ended 32 points ahead of third-place Trabzonspor.

Galatasaray will enter the Champions League in the qualifying playoffs round in August, needing to beat one opponent to advance to the expanded 36-team league phase. Fenerbahce goes into the second qualifying round starting in July needing to beat three opponents.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)