Besiktas vs Fenerbahce
, KO: 17:00 , Tupras Stadium
The first Istanbul derby of the season is upon us, as Besiktas host Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig hoping to close the gap on the leaders after a poor start to the season.
As two of the three most successful teams in Turkey, Besiktas and Fenerbahce are usually involved in the title race, but the current campaign has seen both fall far behind Galatasaray. Besiktas were 4th before the start of the round, a whole 11 points behind the leaders, while Fenerbahce were 3rd and six points behind.
Besiktas suffer from a lack of consistency, recording only two wins in their last five games. The absence of European football usually creates an opportunity for better performance in the league, but this is not the case for the hosts. Their defence is times worse than that of the other three teams in the Top 4.
And at Fenerbahce, things are only getting better, with the team remaining one of only two without a single loss in the league. The Yellow Canaries won four of their last five games in all competitions (D1), while they also lost only once in the last 10.
There are still matches in which Fenerbahce have problems scoring goals, but their defensive play is excellent.
How the bookies view it: No real favourite to win
Bookmakers see the teams as completely equal in terms of chances of winning, with minimal differences in the odds. At the moment, you can pick Besiktas at 31/20, while the visitors Fenerbahce are available at 29/20. Also, the draw seems quite possible at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: Besiktas with a double
It would be difficult to find a more evenly matched rivalry than the one between Besiktas and Fenerbahce. The teams have met a total of 361 times over the last century, with Fenerbahce having a slight advantage with 135 wins to 129, with 97 matches ending in a draw.
In their more recent encounters, however, Besiktas have had the upper hand, with four wins to Fenerbahce's two in the last 10 H2Hs. The Black Eagles scored a double last season, winning both matches.
Players to watch: Is En-Nesyri finding his form?
Fenerbahce’s Youssef En-Nesyri finally got his name on the scoresheet after failing to score in seven consecutive appearances. He scored a brace in the 4-0 win over Gaziantep and will be eager for more in the derby.
On the other side, Tammy Abraham has been improving and finally making a noticeable impact in Besiktas’ games, scoring three goals in his last six appearances.
Probable line-ups
Besiktas: Destanoglu, Sazdagi, Topku, Djalo, Yilmaz, Kokcu, Ndidi, Rashica, R Silva, Under, Abraham
Fenerbahce: Ederson, Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Brown, Asensio, Alvarez, Yuksek, Nene, En-Nesyri, Akturkoglu
Anything else catch the eye?
Besiktas kept back-to-back clean sheets against Fenerbahce last season, which was impressive, but unlikely to happen again. The Yellow Canaries are the better team right now and we expect them to remain undefeated in the league after the derby.
Seven of the last 10 H2Hs featured goals from both sides, and we expect either a 1-1 or a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
GambleAware