Russian midfielder Alexey Batrakov scored twice in three minutes as Galatasaray defeated VfB Stuttgart 2–0 in the UEFA Champions League at Rams Park in Istanbul.
Alexey Batrakov delivered his performance on November 3, 2026, in the fourth round of the tournament.
The 21-year-old midfielder struck twice in the first half.
Batrakov Scores Twice Early
The breakthrough came on the 12th minute when a Stuttgart defender mishandled a clearance.
Batrakov fired a precise shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Bredlow.
Davinson Sánchez fed a sharp pass to Batrakov on the 15th minute.
Batrakov burst down the right flank, cut into the box, and doubled Galatasaray’s lead.
Opta statistics noted that at 21 years and 147 days old, Batrakov became the second-youngest player in Champions League history to score a brace within the opening 15 minutes of a match.
Only Real Madrid’s Rodrygo achieved the feat younger, at 18 years old in 2019.
Batrakov also set a club record as the youngest Galatasaray player to score two goals in a single European Cup fixture.
Batrakov celebrated his second goal in the style of Kylian Mbappé by crossing his arms over his chest.
The player secured his first-ever official man-of-the-match award in the main European club tournament.
His agent, Vladimir Kuzmichev, told RIA Novosti that the performance confirmed the player’s high level, calling it a very good and productive game.
Batrakov Matches European Stars
The performance extended Batrakov’s scoring streak in the Champions League to three consecutive games.
He previously scored against Barcelona and Lille.
Batrakov has four goals in four matches in his debut tournament campaign.
He matched the tally of established European stars Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
Batrakov equaled Andrei Arshavin’s career total of four Champions League goals.
What a goal from Alexey batrakov Galatasaray 1-0 stuttgart pic.twitter.com/ZaAApch9GM
Arshavin required 34 appearances for his four strikes compared to Batrakov’s four matches.
The record for most goals by a Russian player in the tournament remains held by Artem Dzyuba with nine.
Batrakov has scored five total goals across 12 appearances in all competitions for the Turkish club following his summer transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow.
His form has reportedly attracted attention from prominent English clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City, as well as French sides Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.
Galatasaray Prepares for Aston Villa
Batrakov was substituted in the 77th minute in front of home supporters.
Batrakov expressed his appreciation for the backing of the coaching staff, his family, and the club’s fans.
The victory lifted Galatasaray to six points from four matches and into 14th place in the overall table.
Stuttgart remained on seven points.
Galatasaray returns to European action on November 24 when they host Aston Villa at Rams Park.
Stuttgart will travel to Italy the following day to face Inter Milan.
Will European clubs formalize their transfer interest in Batrakov when the window opens?