Galatasaray hosts Fenerbahçe in title decider

ISTANBUL

Leader Galatasaray will be looking to clinch the Turkish Süper Lig title in front of its own fans when it hosts closest challenger Fenerbahçe in a highly-anticipated “Intercontinental Derby” on May 19.

There is also a fierce battle at the bottom of the standings, with six of the seven teams in the relegation zone facing each other on the same day.

In a season that saw the two archrivals opening a huge gap with other teams atop the standings, defending champion Galatasaray sits in the top spot with 99 points in 36 games, while Fenerbahçe follows with 93 points, with two matches to go.

Galatasaray has won 17 games in a row, breaking the league record. Its 2.75 goals per game is also an all-time high for the Süper Lig.

A draw at home will secure the home side its 24th Turkish league trophy, but Galatasaray has no intention to settle for it.

“If someone had said at the start of the season that we would head to the derby with a six-point lead, it would have been amazing,” coach Okan Buruk said after last weekend’s win over Karagümrük.

“It's a great scenario for us. Even though a draw would suffice, we want to win. Both teams are having very successful seasons. Both teams will want to win in the same way. We also want to win on our home turf. It will be a fantastic evening with our fans. Hopefully, we will celebrate the championship at the end of the day.”

Fenerbahçe, however, still harbors hopes of a miraculous comeback. The club based on the Anatolian side of Istanbul will need to win its remaining two matches and hopes Galatasaray loses both to snatch the title.

Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal, who will most likely leave the club at the end of the season, wants to have an away derby victory against Galatasaray on his resume.

“We have had a very good season, I’m proud of my players,” he said following a 3-0 home win against Kayserispor on May 12.

“We have a small shot at the title, but we want to beat Galatasaray.”

Fenerbahçe is also embroiled in an administrative battle, with Aziz Yıldırım, who chaired the club for 20 years from 1998 to 2008, challenging current president Ali Koç in a club congress to be held on June 8-9.

In the bottom of the league table, Kayserispor, which sits in the 13th spot with 41 points, plays Konyaspor, trailing it by one point.

Ankaragücü, currently in 15th place with 39 points, hosts Pendikspor this week. A win, coupled with favorable results in other matches, could secure its spot in the league.

Karagümrük faces Gaziantep in a crucial match that could significantly impact the standings. A loss would leave the minnow Istanbul club awaiting the results of other games.

Hatayspor, currently in 18th place with 37 points, faces two must-win matches to avoid relegation. The team will first visit Beşiktaş, then host Rizespor in the final week.