Leader Trabzonspor to host Beşiktaş in Süper Lig

ISTANBUL

Turkish Super Lig leader Trabzonspor host will host defending champion Beşiktaş on April 3, knowing that it will inch towards the title regardless of the match result.

The Black Sea side has a comfortable 15-point lead in the standings after 30 weeks, with 21 wins and two losses so far, and three more wins in its remaining eight games will be enough to bring the team its first Turkish league title in almost three decades.

Beşiktaş, on the other hand, will be under its third coach of the season with Valerien Ismael of France, who replaced Önder Karaveli during the international break, making his debut with the team.

The Istanbul club had parted ways with league-winning coach and club legend Sergen Yalçın in December following a string of poor results, replacing him with youth team coach Karaveli.

Despite some improvement on the pitch, the results were not on Karaveli’s side, who won six league matches, drew seven and lost two when in charge of the club that currently sits on the eights spot with 46 points.

Beşiktaş chairman Ahmet Nur Çebi said mid-week that he was excited to see what the new coach would bring to the club.

“It is a very important match, and we must win,” the chairman told reporters when asked about the match.

“Trabzonspor is a good team, but as everybody knows, Beşiktaş is also a good team, which has faced some misfortunes. Our new coach is making a fresh start; we may watch a different type of play on the pitch. I’m curious to see what he will do.”

Trabzonspor supporters, meanwhile, are preparing to break the world record for the loudest crowd at a football stadium.

A packed Medical Park Stadium will try to take over the record from Galatasaray fans, who broke it with 131.76 decibels in a game against archrival Fenerbahçe in 2011.

Trabzonspor was the first club to break the three big Istanbul
clubs’ monopoly in winning titles when it claimed the trophy in the 1975-1976 season.

It dominated the league from there and won five consecutive league titles, including the 1980-1981 season, and added another in the 1983-1984 season, earning the nickname “The Black Sea Storm.”

The club came close to winning the league again on several occasions since, most notably in the 2010-2011 season, but fans’ longing for a league title continued.

This season will most likely be the year they finally reunite with the trophy.

Elsewhere in the Süper Lig in Week 31 games, Galatasaray takes on Karagümrük at home, Fenerbahçe travels to Kayserispor, Giresunspor hosts Sivasspor and Antalyaspor visits Altay in April 2’s games.

On April 3, Kasımpaşa entertains Gaziantep, Alanyaspor is at home against Rizespor and Göztepe will play an away game against second-placed Konyaspor.

The week concludes with two games on April 4, when Başakşehir hosts Malatyaspor and Adana Demirspor visits Hatayspor.