The playoff final in the Turkish SMS Grup Efeler League for the 2025/2026 season started on April 21 in Ankara, where the reigning champion Ziraat Bank hosted Galatasaray an opponent they also faced in last year's title dispute. In a fiercely contested match, the capital's team won 3:1 (25:23, 20:25, 25:21, 25:19) and took the first step towards a new trophy.
The match offered a high level of play and tension from the first to the last point. Ziraat Bank showed more stable play in key moments and, most importantly, fewer unforced errors, which proved decisive.
The first set was narrowly won by the hosts with 25:23, after which Galatasaray reacted well and equalized after 25:20. In the third set, however, Ziraat Bank regained control (25:21), and in the fourth part, they dictated their pace and closed the match at 25:19.
For the winners, Nimir Abdel-Aziz was the strongest with 20 points, while Tomasz Fornal added 19. Bedirhan B clb cl and Clevenot finished with 10 points each.
Ziraat Bank achieved success with 57 points in attack, 6 aces, and 3 blocks, also benefiting from 29 points gifted by opponent errors.
For Galatasaray, Stephen Maar was the top scorer with 21 points, and Jean Patry scored 19. Bulgarian international Georgi Tatarov did not play again.
With this success, Ziraat Bank took a 1-0 lead in the final series, which is played to three wins.
The second match is on April 24 at 19:00 in Istanbul, where Galatasaray will seek a mandatory response to keep their title chances alive.