AZ Alkmaar, fresh off a 3-1 win over Galatasaray’s hottest rivals Fenerbahce in their last Europa League matchday, struck early as Fernando Muslera’s weak punch fell invitingly to Sven Mijnans, who calmly drilled a low shot into the middle of the net inside the opening two minutes.
The Lions nearly fell further behind moments later, surviving close efforts from Ruben van Bommel and Mayckel Lahdo, before Van Bommel came painfully close again, firing wide of the right post from inside the box.
Victor Osimhen then saw his powerful header brilliantly denied on the line by Jeroen Zoet, as Okan Buruk’s men pressed to preserve their unbeaten run since August's narrow UEFA Champions League qualifier defeat to Young Boys.
The ex-Napoli striker eventually found the breakthrough, nodding in Dries Mertens' pinpoint cross past Peer Koopmeiners and narrowly over the line, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.
Maarten Martens introduced two fresh faces at the break to spark a response, but it was the visitors who seized control, relentlessly pressing the Cheese Farmers and denying them any rhythm as the hour mark approached.
With the visitors boasting an impressive eight-goal return from just 34 shots against them this season - the best conversion rate by opponents against a team this season - Galatasaray trod carefully.
Confident in their attacking prowess, having registered a competition-high 37 of 92 shots on target in the UEL, they remained poised to strike at the other end.
Kees Smit was sent off for a cynical foul in stoppage time before Galatasaray thought they stole all three points after Oshimen nodded home but the celebrations were cut short following a VAR review. In the end, neither side managed to find the winner as AZ Alkmaar extended their impressive unbeaten streak against Turkish opponents to eight games.
As things stand, the Dutch outfit can look forward to a play-off spot, as they remain keen to qualify for the UEL knockouts for the first time since the 2019/20 campaign. Meanwhile, the draw ends a seven-game win streak for Galatasaray, with the Turks without a victory against Dutch opposition in Europe in five outings.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jeroen Zoet (AZ Alkmaar)