Lions head south before int’l break
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Leader Galatasaray heads south to face Mersin İdman Yurdu while Antalyaspor heads to Istanbul to meet Kasımpaşa in the Super League
Spor Toto Super League leader Galatasaray heads south this weekend, while its closest league rival Medical Park Antalyaspor is going in the opposite direction.Galatasaray meets Mersin İdman Yurdu, while Antalyaspor takes on Kasımpaşa on match day 11, before the league enters a week-long break due to international fixtures next week.
Galatasaray is level with Antalyaspor on 21 points, bettering its Mediterranean opponent only by goal difference. The two teams have a comfortable four-point advantage over third-placed Eskişehirspor.
The defending champion visits Mersin İdman Yurdu on Nov. 11 at the Tevfik Sırrı Gür Stadium. Its opponent only enjoyed its first win in the league two weeks ago, and is sitting 17th in the 18-team division. Fans of Mersin, the neighboring city of Antalya, have to watch their local rivals from afar as they are on a stunning five-match winning streak.
Also on Nov. 11, Trabzonspor takes on struggling Akhisar, while Kardemir Karabükspor meets Istanbul BB.
Antalyaspor looks to maintain hot streak
Antalyaspor recently got its fifth win with a memorable comeback win over Trabzonspor, after the team scored two goals in the last six minutes to beat the Black Sea Storm 2-1. The team is flying to Istanbul to meet Kasımpaşa, the minnow club of Turkish football’s most powerful city, on Nov. 10.
“We are thinking about nothing less than a win,” Antalyaspor coach Mehmet Özdilek told reporters on Nov. 9. “My players have the quality to overcome Kasımpaşa.”
Kasımpaşa, on the other hand, has failed to continue its strong start to the season. The team was in the second spot after the sixth week of matches, but has since hit a negative streak of three consecutive matches without a win.
Last week, Shota Arveladze saw his first win as the Kasımpaşa coach, beating Bursaspor 2-1. Arveladze replaced Metin Diyadin, who was fired just four weeks into the season.
Also on Nov. 10, Fenerbahçe, fresh from a comfortable 2-0 win over Greek Cyprus’ AEL Limassol, hosts fourth-place Orduspor. The Black Sea outfit currently has 17 points, one more than Fenerbahçe. In other matches, bottom-placed Sanica Boru Elazığspor meets Kayserispor, while Gaziantepspor entertains Gençlerbirliği.
Fixing claims in Cluj win
CLUJ, Romania - Hurriyet Daily News
Romanian journalist Emanuel Roşu has claimed that he has a source proving that match-fixing occurred during Turkish champion Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over CFR Cluj in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
“Match-fixing accusations after CFR 1-3 Galatasaray. CFR captain Cadu is involved in this huge scandal which is about to blow!” Roşu wrote on Twitter on Nov. 9, adding that there was “a man” who would issue statements on the claims later that day.
Galatasaray won the game 3-1 on Nov. 7, thanks to three goals by Burak Yılmaz. The Turkish titleholder rose to the second spot in its Champions’ League group with the win.
The allegations come as Turkish football reels from a devastating match-fixing scandal. According to a court verdict earlier this year, several officials, including then-champion Fenerbahçe board members, were embroiled in match-fixing attempts during the 2010-2011 Super League season.