Galatasaray meet minnow Balıkesir in the cup

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Galatasaray will meet third-tier Balıkesirspor in the most intriguing of tonight’s three Ziraat Turkish Cup matches.

The Istanbul giants will host the minnows at the Türk Telekom Arena in the domestic cup competition’s round of 32.

Galatasaray is the Turkish Cup’s top performer with 14 victories, but the Lions have failed in the competition recently, with its last trophy coming in 2005.

Underdog Balıkesirspor, which was formed in 1966, has experienced just one season in the Turkish top-flight in its history, in the 1975-76 season. Galatasaray and Balıkesirspor have not met since that campaign.

Tonight’s game will start at 7 p.m. Another tie in which a Super League side meets a lower-tier team is the Tokatspor vs. Mersin İdman Yurdu match. Although it is currently struggling in the Super League, Mersin İdman Yurdu will not be “fielding a second-string side” against Tokatspor, a third-tier side, according to its coach Nurullah Sağlam.

The other game in the round today brings Altay against Kayseri Erciyesspor in İzmir.