Galatasaray’s Reported New XI: The Yunus, Batrakov and Leão Plan After Trabzonspor Defeat

Galatasaray’s 4-0 defeat at Trabzonspor was not merely their first loss of the season. It raised questions about the team’s attacking structure, defensive balance and the roles assigned to its biggest names.

That is why the reported post-break squad plan deserves attention. According to a TRT Spor report relayed by NTV, Okan Buruk is considering moving Yunus Akgün back to his natural right-sided role, giving Aleksey Batrakov a fixed place at No. 10 and using Rafael Leão from the left. In that scenario, Leroy Sané and Barış Alper Yılmaz could lose their places in the starting XI.

It is important to be precise: this is not a decision announced by Galatasaray or Okan Buruk. It is a reported lineup scenario. But even as a possibility, it points directly at the biggest question around Galatasaray’s season: will Buruk keep trying to fit every star into the same XI, or will he move towards a more clearly defined attacking structure?

This would be more than three personnel changes

The reported shape would not simply change the names on the teamsheet. It would rebuild the attacking hierarchy.

Moving Yunus to the right could give Galatasaray a different type of player in that corridor. Rather than relying on a winger who stays wide and attacks the line, Yunus can move into the right half-space, connect midfield to attack and alter the direction of possession.

His value is not limited to what he creates with the ball. His positioning can shorten the distances between Galatasaray’s midfield and forward line. In a team that wants more control in the opposition half, that matters.

Batrakov’s role at No. 10 would be the centre of the plan. Using him across several areas can help a side solve short-term selection problems, but it can also blur a player’s reference points. A permanent place behind the striker would give Batrakov more touches around the penalty area and make him responsible for more of the final decisions in attack.

Leão on the left completes the structure. His speed in open space could transform Galatasaray’s transition threat. But he needs the right conditions to produce his best work. If he is repeatedly asked to receive on the touchline with his back to goal, the system will limit his strengths. The relationship between the left-back, central midfield and No. 10 would have to create space for him to attack facing forward.

What would it mean for Sané and Barış Alper?

The sharpest part of the report is the possibility of Leroy Sané and Barış Alper Yılmaz starting on the bench. But framing it simply as two stars being dropped misses the tactical point.

Sané’s quality is not in doubt. The question is how Galatasaray want to use it. When he starts wide right and drifts inside as a playmaker, he can occupy similar zones to other ball-demanding attackers. Yunus beginning on the right could allow Sané to become a different type of option from the bench — one who changes the rhythm and profile of the game.

For Barış Alper, the issue may also be role rather than form. He remains one of Galatasaray’s most valuable players when matches require running power, pressing and direct play into space. But with Leão on the left, Yunus on the right and Batrakov in the middle, accommodating him in the starting XI would require another structural adjustment.

Any change should therefore be seen as an alternative setup for specific opponents, not automatically as a punishment or a permanent pecking-order decision.

Osimhen’s return would reshape the equation again

The final piece is Victor Osimhen.

If he returns without an injury or suspension issue, the expectation is that he starts. His presence gives the entire attacking plan a clearer centre. Osimhen’s runs behind the defensive line could give Leão a target after carries from the left. Batrakov’s through balls and Yunus’ work in the right half-space could also increase the striker’s involvement inside the area.

On paper, the shape contains three distinct attacking threats:

• Leão’s pace and one-versus-one quality from the left,

• Batrakov’s creative decisions through the middle,

• Osimhen’s finishing and penalty-box movement.

Yunus could be the player connecting them.

But balance is not created only in attack. Starting Leão and Batrakov together would also raise the question of how quickly Galatasaray can recover their defensive shape after losing possession. The defeat at Trabzonspor showed how costly transition gaps can become.

Does the Trabzonspor defeat make change inevitable?

No. One result should not force a complete seasonal reset.

However, the 4-0 loss took Galatasaray’s goals-conceded total to 10 in the opening six league weeks. It was a reminder that the team cannot be assessed only through attacking talent. The squad has elite individual quality; the bigger challenge is using that quality without losing its collective balance.

That is the decision facing Okan Buruk: more star power, or clearer role definition?

The Yunus–Batrakov–Leão line points towards the second option. It could give Galatasaray a more coherent distribution of roles in possession. But it will work only if the midfield security, full-back positioning and reaction after turnovers improve at the same time.

The first official XI after the international break will show how much of this reported plan is a genuine tactical direction. Until then, explore Galatasaray’s current squad, compare the relevant player profiles and test role alternatives with the StatsLook Player Comparison tool.