Giants to meet southern clubs in Turkish League

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Defending champion Galatasaray tops the current Spor Toto Super League standings with seven points in three weeks. AA photo

Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe will meet their Mediterranean opponents as the Spor Toto Super League returns from an international break.

Defending champion Galatasaray visits Medical Park Antalyaspor while last year’s runner up Fenerbahçe hosts Mersin İdman Yurdu in two important games this the weekend.

Galatasaray, who tops the standings with seven points in three games, will make the Mediterranean trip on Sept. 15. The Lions will have winning on their minds but the match will hardly be a guaranteed victory for them, since trips to Antalya have not been always happy for them.

Galatasaray won just three of its 11 visits to Antalyaspor and coach Mehmet Özdilek says the host team is plotting another upset.

“It will be a hard game for Galatasaray as hard as it is for us,” Özdilek said to reporters. “We are aiming for the best. We want to win. I hope we can make it.”

Medical Park Antalyaspor was the only team that Galatasaray failed to beat last season.

Galatasaray will also try to win the Antalyaspor game to focus on another key meeting next week. The Lions will meet Manchester United at the Old Trafford Stadium in the Champions League on Sept. 19. The game against the English heavyweights will mark Galatasaray’s return to the top-level club competition after four years.

Earlier on Saturday, Kasımpaşa will meet Gaziantepspor and Bursaspor will take on Kardemir Karabükspor.

High flying Kasımpaşa
Kasımpaşa started the season on a good run, collecting two wins in two games after losing to Galatasaray on the opening weekend of the season. One of the five teams to hail from Istanbul, Kasımpaşa formed a quality squad after being promoted to the top flight.

After two defeats, Gaziantep got its first win of the season with a win over title hopeful Trabzonspor before the international break.

Bursaspor also enjoyed just one victory this season and is struggling to find a rhythm. The Crocs have bowed out of the European competition with a thrilling two-game 5-4 aggregate defeat to Twente of the Netherlands and will try to find consolation against Karabükspor.

On Sept. 16, Fenerbahçe hosts Mersin İdman Yurdu in a game that will be played in front of women and children only. Fenerbahçe is currently serving the second game of its five-match ban given after crowds caused trouble on the final day of the last season. Fenerbahçe fans clashed with the police after the final whistle, which ruled that rival Galatasaray would win the Turkish title at their own Şükrü Saracoğlu stadium on May 12.

Newly-signed player Raul Meireles will make his Fenerbahçe debut in the game.

Earlier that day, Trabzonspor will also play its Sivasspor game in front of women and children due to crowd trouble in their during the Fenerbahçe game on May 6. Akhisar will host Istanbul BB and Eskişehirspor will meet Gençlerbirliği also on Sept. 16.