Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera etched his name further into club folklore on Sunday, scoring a late penalty to seal a vital 3-0 victory over Kayserispor and secure the Turkish Super Lig title.
In a rare moment for a goalkeeper, the veteran Uruguayan stepped up to take an 89th-minute spot-kick, calmly slotting the ball home to spark jubilant title celebrations among the Galatasaray faithful.
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Muslera’s strike marks only the second instance this season across Europe where a goalkeeper has scored a penalty outside of a penalty shootout.
The other occurred in December when Dynamo Moscow’s Igor Leshchuk converted from the spot against Akhmat Grozny in the Russian Premier League.
The emphatic win propelled Galatasaray to 89 points after 34 matches, establishing an insurmountable eight-point lead over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce with just two games remaining in the season.
Remarkably, this was not Muslera’s maiden goal for the Istanbul giants. Back in 2012, he also converted a penalty against Manisaspor in the final match of his debut season with the club.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper is widely expected to bring his illustrious 14-year tenure at Galatasaray to a close at the end of the current season, with his contract set to expire.
His title-winning penalty provides a memorable moment as he potentially enters his final chapter with the club.
