Galatasaray in tough Ankara test

ISTANBUL

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The 15th week of Turkey’s top football division, the Spor Toto Super League, is set to kick off Dec. 26 with the highly anticipated match between Gençlerbirliği and Galatasaray in Ankara, as the race heats up both at the top and the bottom of the standings.

The match will begin at 8 p.m. local time.

Balıkesirspor at the bottom of the standings will bid to raise expectations against Kardemir Karabükspor in a home game on Dec. 27, after the club was highly motivated by a 5-3 win against Kasımpaşa last week.

Istanbul Başakşehir will host SAI Kayseri Erciyesspor the same day before Fenerbahçe, which trails league leader Beşiktaş by one point, will take on Mersin İdmanyurdu.

Dec. 28 starts with the Kasımpaşa-Sivasspor fixture, as the visiting side will play its first game under new coach Sergen Yalçın, who replaced legendary former player Roberto Carlos earlier this week.

Also on Dec. 28, Yalçın’s former club Gaziantepspor will host Bursaspor and Akhisar Belediyespor will take on Çaykur Rizespor, a team struggling to avoid relegation.

Torku Konyaspor will host Beşiktaş in the final game on Dec. 28, in which the Istanbul side will bid to secure its position at the top of the league table for a fifth week in a row, as it once more plays after close rivals, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahnçe have finished up their matches.

In the last game of the week on Dec. 29, Black Sea’s Trabzonspor will take on Eskişehirspor