Sports Mole previews Saturday's Turkish Super Lig clash between Istanbul Basaksehir and Galatasaray, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Reigning champions Galatasaray resume football action this weekend with a trip across town to face Istanbul Basaksehir in round nine of the Turkish Super Lig.
Cimbom were held to a draw by Besiktas in the Istanbul derby before the international break and now aim to return to winning form against another city rival.
Match preview
Although Galatasaray dropped points for the first time in the Super Lig season, head coach Okan Buruk would still be satisfied with the side's spirited display last time out, fighting back to earn a draw despite being a man down.
The reigning champions had fallen behind in the 12th minute when Tammy Abraham put the visitors ahead, and the situation worsened soon after as defender Davinson Sanchez was dismissed in the 34th minute, but a composed second-half finish from Ilkay Gundogan ensured Cimbom salvaged a point.
As a result, Galatasaray have now amassed 22 points from eight matches and remain six points clear of their fiercest rivals Fenerbahce, who failed to take advantage of the slip-up, though the gap to second place has been trimmed to five after Trabzonspor moved up the standings.
Cimbom have been brilliant at both ends this term, netting a league-high 20 goals while their three conceded remains the second fewest in the division, and Buruk's men will hope to maintain those impressive numbers against a side they have dominated in recent encounters.
Gala have emerged victorious in each of their last six Super Lig meetings with Basaksehir, finding the net 16 times while conceding only twice in that span, and with the hosts struggling for rhythm, another commanding display could well be on the cards.
Indeed, the Grey Owls have endured a difficult campaign so far, recording just one win in seven league outings and entering the international break on a three-game winless streak that included back-to-back defeats.
Despite a managerial change that saw Nuri Sahin replace Cagdas Atan after two draws and a defeat under interim boss Marco Pezzaiuoli, there has been little sign of progress under the new man.
Sahin has overseen four games, beginning with a 2-0 victory away to bottom-placed Fatih Karagumruk, but that was followed by a 1-1 draw against Alanyaspor, a 2-1 defeat to Konyaspor, and most recently a narrow 1-0 loss at Goztepe before the break.
Basaksehir's six points leave them 13th in the standings, just one point above the drop zone though with a game in hand, while their main issues have been in attack despite showing relative solidity at the back.
The Grey Owls have managed only six goals - the fourth least tally in the league - though their seven conceded is fewer than 13 other sides in the Super Lig, suggesting improvement is needed in the final third heading into Saturday's daunting fixture.
Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:
D
L
W
D
L
L
Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:
W
W
W
W
W
D
Galatasaray form (all competitions):
W
L
W
W
W
D
Team News
Centre-back Leo Duarte has missed each of Basaksehir's last six matches due to a foot injury and remains doubtful for this encounter.
Central midfielder Olivier Kemen is also being assessed for availability after sitting out the last two games with a muscle concern, while right winger Yusuf Sari is ruled out once again after missing the Goztepe clash through injury.
Forward Eldor Shomurodov has been the standout performer so far, scoring half of Basaksehir's six goals while also providing one assist, and the Uzbek striker will shoulder the attacking burden once more this weekend.
Aside from potential fatigue among returning internationals, Galatasaray also face defensive concerns as Buruk looks to plug gaps at the back.
With Sanchez suspended and Wilfried Singo nursing an injury after being forced off against Besiktas, Mario Lemina is expected to drop into central defence, while Roland Sallai is likely to deputise at right-back.
Victor Osimhen arrives on the back of an excellent international break in which he netted a hat-trick for Nigeria, though Buruk may opt to start Mauro Icardi, who will be the fresher of the two having sat out national team duty.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Opoku, Ozdemir, Gureler; Operi, Harit, Kaluzinski, Crespo, Ebosele; Shomurodov, Da Costa
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Sallai, Lemina, Bardacki, Jakobs; Toreira, Sara; Akgun, Gundogan, Yilmaz; Icardi
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 0-2 Galatasaray
Despite the defensive setbacks heading into this contest, Galatasaray still possess enough quality to control proceedings, especially against a Basaksehir side struggling to find their spark in attack, and the visitors are expected to claim all three points once again as they have in recent meetings.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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