Galatasaray win 20th Turkish title as seven-man Fenerbahce draw

Galatasaray were crowned champions of Turkey's top flight for a record 20th time on Monday, after perennial Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce had four men sent off in a 2-2 draw at Basaksehir.

With one round of games remaining, Fenerbahce needed nothing less than a win against Basaksehir, a fast-growing Istanbul side, to keep any title hopes alive.

But two goals from Mehmet Batdal within ten minutes in the second half were hammer blows to Fenerbahce's lingering hopes.

Diego of Brazil struck back for Fenerbahce after 80 minutes and Pierre Webo of Cameroon added another on 88 minutes, leading to frantic closing minutes as Fenerbahce looked for a winner.

With tempers fraying, four Fenerbahce players were sent off in the last 10 minutes -- Mehmet Topuz, Bruno Alves of Portugal, Caner Erkin and Webo -- leaving the visitors with just seven players on the field.

The result leaves Galatasaray with an unassailable five-point lead at the top of the table and also earning Turkey's automatic Champions League spot for next season.

Fenerbahce will finish second and the third great team of Istanbul, Besiktas, in third place irrespective of the results in next Sunday's matches.

Galatasaray's victory means the team has now won a record 20 titles, one more than Fenerbahce on 19.

Under Turkish tradition, Galatasaray will now be the first in Turkish football history to wear four stars on their shirts. A Turkish team is awarded a star for every five championship victories.