Galatasaray beat Stuttgart in Champions League

Galatasaray handed Stuttgart their first Champions League defeat of the season Tuesday as Russian midfielder Aleksei Batrakov struck twice in a blistering opening 15 minutes to seal a 2-0 victory in Istanbul.

Stuttgart nearly silenced the home crowd early when Jamie Leweling's effort struck both posts, but the Turkish champions quickly seized control.

A defensive error by Jeff Chabot allowed Batrakov to pounce inside the penalty area and unleash a powerful strike into the top corner, sending the home supporters into a frenzy.

The 21-year-old doubled Galatasaray's advantage in the 15th minute, slipping the ball through goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow's legs to cap a ruthless start by the Istanbul side.

Stuttgart thought they had found a way back when Chris Führich scored, but a video review ruled out the effort for offside in the buildup, Daily Sabah reported.

The defeat left Sebastian Hoeness' side in eighth place after four of eight league-phase matches, although they risk slipping out of the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16 once the remaining fixtures are completed.