Ex-champion Bursaspor in Turkish Super League relegation dogfight
ISTANBUL
Bursaspor, which travels to Trabzonspor on June 3, needs a rare away victory against the Black Sea side to make sure to be in the top flight the next season.
Any other result, if as expected Rizespor wins at home against Alanyaspor in a simultaneous match, would mean that Bursaspor becomes the first Turkish club with a league trophy to be relegated from the top league.
The 2009-10 season title is now a distant memory for Bursaspor, whose fifth coach for the season resigned last week after losing his first game at the helm. The team is in turmoil, practically without a head coach going into its most important game of the season.
With only two wins and two draws in its last 17 league games, Bursaspor will also need to end a six-game losing streak against Trabzonspor, which itself is without a win in five games and will break an unwanted club record of winless streak if it fails to triumph.
Rizespor, on the other hand, has won three of its last four league games, including a 6-0 routing of Bursaspor to gain the advantage in the event that the two clubs end the season on the same points.
June 3’s round of matches will also decide whether Fenerbahçe will be able finish the league in third spot ahead of Galatasaray.
Both teams are currently separated by goal difference and have already earned a place in next season’s Europa League, the team that finishes fourth will have to go through three qualification rounds, starting at the end of June.