Batrakov becomes Galatasaray's youngest Champions League brace scorer

Galatasaray's Russian midfielder Aleksey Batrakov scored both goals as the Turkish champions beat VfB Stuttgart 2-0 on 3 November 2026, in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League league phase. According to the club's official statement, the 21-year-old became the youngest player in Galatasaray history to score twice in a single Champions League game.

Batrakov struck in the 12th and 15th minutes. Galatasaray say no player had previously scored twice inside the opening quarter of an hour of a Champions League match for the club. Having also found the net against Barcelona and Lille, he is now the first midfielder in Galatasaray history to score in three consecutive Champions League games.

Which records did Batrakov break?

Aleksey Batrakov set three club firsts against Stuttgart: youngest Galatasaray player to score twice in a Champions League match, first to do so inside the opening 15 minutes, and first midfielder to score in three straight Champions League games. The records come from the post-match statistics published on Galatasaray's official website.

The club's figures also place him in Russian football history. According to Galatasaray, Batrakov is the first Russian since Roman Pavlyuchenko, who did it for Tottenham, to score twice in a Champions League match while playing for a club outside his home country. His fourth goal of the competition also made him the first Russian to reach that tally with a club based abroad.

How has Batrakov done in his last three Champions League games?

Batrakov has scored 4 goals in his last three Champions League matches. ScoreLab data shows he got Galatasaray's only goal in a 4-1 home defeat to Barcelona on 13 October 2026, scored once in a 4-2 win at Lille on 21 October 2026, then added two against Stuttgart on 3 November 2026.

The brace also lifted Batrakov to the top of the Champions League scoring chart. As reported by Ajansspor, his 4 goals put him level at the summit with Harry Kane, Serhou Guirassy, Erling Haaland, Luis Suarez, Ermedin Demirovic and Nicolo Tresoldi.

What other records fell in Galatasaray vs Stuttgart?

The Stuttgart win brought other milestones for Galatasaray. The club says it was their first clean-sheet victory over a German side in the European Cup and Champions League era. Head coach Okan Buruk reached 17 wins in European competition, second at the club only to Fatih Terim's 38. Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır kept his fourth Champions League clean sheet for Galatasaray, the fourth keeper in club history to reach that mark.

• Galatasaray account for 36 of the 62 Champions League wins by Turkish clubs (58%).
• Okan Buruk has 9 Champions League wins with Turkish clubs, behind only Fatih Terim with 14 among Turkish coaches.
• Among Galatasaray keepers, Faryd Mondragon leads with 10 Champions League clean sheets, while Claudio Taffarel and Fernando Muslera have 5 each.

Who is Aleksey Batrakov?

Aleksey Batrakov is a Russian midfielder born on 9 June 2005. ScoreLab data shows he spent the 2025/26 season in the Russian Premier League before joining Galatasaray, where his contract runs until June 2031. He has made 96 club appearances for 2 teams, scoring 39 goals, and has 4 goals and 3 assists in 15 games for Russia.

In the Süper Lig, Batrakov has stood out more as a creator. According to ScoreLab data, he has 3 assists in 8 league games in 2026/27, and his 3.69 key passes per 90 minutes put him in the 97th percentile among the league's midfielders. His assists per 90 have risen from 0.32 last season to 0.58.

When do Galatasaray play next?

Galatasaray's next game is a Süper Lig home match against Amed on 7 November 2026. In the Champions League, they host Aston Villa on 24 November 2026, where a goal from Batrakov would stretch his scoring run in the competition to four games.