Mbaye Diagne found the net as Galatasaray secured a 2-0 win over Giresunspor in Monday’s Super Lig fixture.
The striker returned to the Yellow-Reds having spent the second half of the 2020-21 campaign with West Bromwich Albion.
Against Cotanaklar, he was handed a place in Fatih Terim’s starting XI, while relying on service from Muhammed Akturkoglu, Sofiane Feghouli and Alexandru Cicaldau.
In the keenly contested encounter against the newly promoted team, he gave his side a 31st-minute lead.
The 29-year-old tucked the ball into an empty net after profiting from a rebound off goalkeeper Okan Kocuk’s save from Feghouli shot.
Nine minutes later, he was presented with a glorious chance to complete his brace when France youth international of Cameroonian descent Sacha Boey was brought down in the box by Husamettin Tut.
Nonetheless, he missed the resultant kick as Kocuk guessed the right direction.
The hosts’ ambition of launching a comeback was dented a heavy blow on the stroke of half-time as the 22-time Turkish kings were awarded a penalty by referee Erkan Ozdamar, with Tut getting his marching orders for denying Diagne an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
This time, it was Cicaldau who stepped up to take the kick and he smartly rolled the ball inside the net.
Despite an improved performance from Giresunspor, they did not get the required goals to make a comeback.
In the 63rd minute, Galatasaray had Brazilian defender Marcao Teixeira dismissed for slapping teammate Kerem Akturkoglu in an off-ball incident.
Alongside Feghouli and Congo international Christian Luyindama, Diagne was in action from start to finish. Whereas, Egypt’s Mostafa Mohamed was an unused substitute with Nigeria’s duo of Jesse Sekidika and Valentine Ozornwafor not listed for the game.
On the other side, Senegal’s Ibrahima Balde played all 90 minutes for Giresunspor with his compatriot Younousse Sankhare getting subbed off for another Senegalese star Hamidou Traore on the stroke of half-time.
Elsewhere, Mamadou Diarra and Fousseni Diabate did not make Hakan Keles’ side.
Diagne would be hoping to take his scoring form to the Cepheus Park Randers as Galatasaray take on Randers in Thursday’s Europa League fixture.
They welcome Hatayspor to the Turk Telekom Stadium in their next league outing.