Galatasaray's Harry Kewell (C) celebrates his goal against Olympiacos Piraeus with team mates Arda Turan (L) and Emre Asik (R) during their UEFA Cup soccer match at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, October 23, 2008.REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY)
Galatasaray got their UEFA Cup group stage campaign off to a winning start with a narrow 1-0 victory over Olympiacos in a closely-contested clash in Istanbul.
Harry Kewell's glancing header was enough to give Michael Skibbe's Turkish champions all three points against Ernesto Valverde's Greek title-holders at a packed Ali Sami Yen Stadium.
Both teams went into the Group B fixture desperate to make amends for recent European disappointment - having lost in the Champions League qualifiers - and it was the hosts who took the early initiative, pressing and probing with former Leeds man Kewell prominent.
The first clear chance of the game came after 20 minutes when Arda Turan headed wide from Lincoln's left-wing corner. Then, two minutes later Kewell dragged a snapshot wide when well placed inside the penalty area.
The Turks continued to press and Sabri Sarioglu tested Nikopolidis with a powerful long-range drive which the visiting keeper parried for a corner.
The deadlock was then broken from the resulting corner in the 26th minute and Kewell was the man on target, evading his marker Didier Domi at the near post before glancing a downward header past Nikopolidis from another Lincoln corner.
Despite the occasional rampaging run from Vasilis Torosidis down the right, Olympiacos struggled to gain meaningful possession and Diogo looked an isolated figure with little service coming from Argentinian duo Luciano Galletti and Fernando Belluschi.
Galletti had a decent opportunity to get his team back into the game on the stroke of half-time but he fired his free-kick into the wall.
The hosts continued to threaten the Olympiacos goal in the second half, with Anastasios Pantos clearing off the line from Baros before Lincoln blasted the rebound over the crossbar from close range.
Lincoln should have added to the scoreline but was thwarted by Nikopolidis and then the crossbar.
Olympiacos substitute Darko Kovacevic had a golden chance to equalise for the Greeks but he headed Fernando Belluschi's free-kick inches wide.
It was then Diogo's turn to miss as the Brazilian headed agonisingly wide from a Torosidis long ball as Galatasaray held to to claim the win.
Surely, very important win (for many reasons...).
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