This Saturday afternoon, one of the biggest derbies in the world will take place. At the Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, we’re going to witness a clash between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, a game that can decide the winner of this season’s Turkish Super Lig. There’s no doubt that the match is going to be super-exciting, but if you want to spice it up by placing a bet, make sure to read this Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray match preview!
Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray: Match Preview
Fenerbahce
Right now, Fenerbahce have six points less than their next opponents, Galatasaray, a team that’s currently topping the table of Turkish Super Lig. What this means is that a Fener win would make the title race a much more exciting. But, do they have what it takes to beat Galatasaray?
Fenerbahce aren’t in the very best form at the moment. This team has lost two games and played a draw in less a month’s time. But, to be frank, they did play against Besiktas in two of those matches, which is a side that’s currently on the 2nd spot in the league. This brings out the question of whether Fener players have the quality to outplay such a strong side as Galatasaray.
Fener’s top scorer this season has been a Brazilian playmaker called Giuliano. This side has a few other top-class players who have started playing pretty good lately, including Roberto Soldado and Mathieu Valbuena. But, do they possess the quality needed to take all three points on Saturday?
Galatasaray
Galatasaray have been in a sensational form, winning four games in a row and scoring 16 goals along the way! This team is topping the table of the Super Lig. Not only do they have the most points, but they have also scored more goals than any other Turkish team this season.
In just 25 league games, they’ve scored 61 goals. Almost half of those goals were scored by Bafétimbi Gomis. The French international is currently the top scorer in the league, with 25 goals to his name so far. He probably wouldn’t have do it if it wasn’t for the help provided by Galatasaray’s midfield. Garry Rodrigues and Belhanda have made eight assists each, while Feghouli has made one less.
One thing that worries Galatasaray fans is that their team hasn’t been too impressive when playing away from home. All of their defeats this season in the league have happened away from their stadium. The good news is that they will have some support from the stands on Saturday, although, according to the rules of the Turkish FA, most of the cards go to the home team.
Team News
Fenerbahce absentees:
- Ismail Koybasi (injury)
- Roman Neustadter (doubtful)
- Vincent Janssen (doubtful)
Galatasaray absentees:
- Cedric Carrasso (injury)
- Jason Denayer (doubtful)
- Eren Derdiyok (doubtful)
Probable Lineups
Fenerbahce: Demirel – Skrtel, Neto, Kaldirim, Özbayraklı – Souza, Topal, Chahechouhe, Dirar, Guiliano – Soldado.
Galatasaray: Muslera – Maicon, Azis, Nagatomo, Mariano – Fernando, Inan, Feghouli, Belhanda, Garry Rodrigues – Gomis.
Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray: Match Prediction
I firmly believe that Galatasaray players are much better than those of Fenerbahce. Furthermore, they’ve been playing fantastic in the last couple of weeks. Everything seems to go in favor of the away team, apart from the fact that the game is played at Fenerbahce’s stadium. This is the place where Galatasaray has won only once in this competition. But, that happened in 1999! Since then, the two sides have met 22 times, each of which ended either as a draw or a Fenerbahce win.
So, what’s gonna happen on Saturday? Who’s gonna win Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray duel? I think no one! In my opinion, a draw is the most likely outcome of this game. Considering that both sides have been doing well in terms of scoring, I think we’ll probably see some goals in this game, as well.
Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray Betting Tips
Draw @3.50 (bet365)
BTS @1.60 (bwin)
