Undefeated Galatasaray travel to the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Sunday to take on Istanbul Basaksehir, aiming to maintain their unbeaten run and extend their lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig.
Sunday's derby game follows Wednesday's thrilling 2-2 Turkish Cup draw between both sides, where Gala fought back twice to avoid defeat.
Match preview
Istanbul Basaksehir showcased resilience and quality in the cup tie, taking the lead twice before Galatasaray equalised on both occasions – however, a stoppage-time penalty miss by Michy Batshuayi spared the Grey Owls from defeat.
Buoyed by that performance, Basaksehir will hope to test the league leaders again, looking to build on their narrow 1-0 win over Adana Demirspor in the league with another solid performance.
Having claimed three victories in their last five league outings, Basaksehir have revived their push for a top-four finish, sitting just four points off the mark with 26 points, and a positive result on Sunday will add to their growing confidence.
Basaksehir can dream of causing an upset, thanks to their commendable home form, with four wins and four draws in eight league matches at the Fatih Terim Stadium.
Historically, they have fared decently in this fixture on home soil, winning six of 17 encounters. However, recent history heavily favours Galatasaray, with the visitors unbeaten in five of their last six meetings, winning four.
Galatasaray remain a dominant force in Turkish football, blending clinical attacking displays with an unmatched ability to grind out results, and they will be extra motivated heading into this clash after the drama-filled draw on Wednesday.
Cimbom edged Goztepe 2-1 in their last league match—a victory manager Okan Buruk described as their toughest home game this season.
However, with the likely return of Victor Osimhen, who missed the midweek cup clash, the visitors will add more to their firepower, as the Nigerian striker has been prolific this season and will relish the chance to add to his tally against Basaksehir.
The visitors have scored at least twice in five of their last six games against Basaksehir, showcasing their offensive prowess, and this pattern seems likely given that they have scored at two or more goals in their last seven competitive matches.
With 33 wins in their last 36 Super Lig outings, Galatasaray have established a culture of excellence, and they will aim to extend their dominance over Basaksehir, having avoided defeat in 10 of their last 11 meetings in all competitions.
Team News
Basaksehir are without Miguel Crespo and Berat Ozdemir due to suspensions, paving the way for Omer Beyaz to feature in midfield.
On the injury front, Serdar Gurler is sidelined with a muscle issue and is expected back later this month.
Striker Krzysztof Piatek, the league's top scorer with 12 goals, will look to end his two-game scoring drought.
Galatasaray remain without Mauro Icardi, who is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
However, Osimhen is set to return, bringing added firepower as he eyes the league's top scorer spot, trailing Piatek by two goals.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Duarte, Gureler, Opoku, Lima; Ergun, Beyaz, Kemen; Turuc, Piatek, Davison
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Akgun, Mertens, Yilmaz; Osimhen
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-3 Galatasaray
Galatasaray's remarkable resilience and superior firepower, boosted by the likely return of Osimhen, should see them edge this encounter.
Basaksehir's solid home form and recent fighting spirit will keep it competitive, but Gala's quality should ultimately prevail in what will be a hard-fought derby.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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