Galatasaray goes into the match at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Sunday as the only team in the league yet to lose a game this season and the team’s target is to continue dominating at the top of the Turkish Super Lig.
This Sunday’s English premiership match comes after the Turkish Cup match that ended 2-2 on Wednesday, where Gala twice came from behind to deny a win.
Bastman Basaksehir also reflected solidity and rich in the cup tie was able to go ahead twice and each time equalize the visitors – however, the final scene was not dark for the Grey Owls as Michy Batshuayi missed a stoppage time penalty.
Encouraged by that match-up, Basaksehir will seek to challenge the league leaders once more, especially after they edged Adana Demirspor 1-0 in the league with another good showing.
With a third of the season completed, Basaksehir have managed three wins in their last five league games and with 26 points, are well within sniffing distance of the top four, and a victory come Sunday will only bolster their confidence.
Basaksehir can only dream of an upset, arguably because their home record has been impressive; they have claimed four wins and four draws in just eight league games at Fatih Terim Stadium.
They have managed a moderate success record in this fixture in their own country by winning six from seventeen matches – last successes for them – however modern statistics is with Galatasaray where their record en plein air shows them as formidably unbeaten in five out of their past six matches, winning four.
Galatasaray are favorites in the Turkish football and they scoring prowess combined with their fantastic ability to chip in the sets and overcome their opponent and they will be further pumped up to do all they can for this encounter following the dramatic and eventful draw on Wednesday.
Goztepe’s last league match was against Cimbom which they lost 1-2, despite this, manager Okan Buruk said it was the hardest match they played at home this campaign.
The visitors will increase their firepower, though, as Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian striker who has been quite effective this season and will welcome the opportunity to increase his total against Basaksehir, is expected to return after missing the midweek cup match.
Given that they have scored two goals or more in their last seven competitive games, it appears likely that the visitors will continue to demonstrate their offensive brilliance by scoring at least twice in five of their last six games against Basaksehir.
Galatasaray has created a culture of excellence with 33 victories in their past 36 Super Lig games. They will try to continue to dominate Basaksehir, who they have avoided losing to in 10 of their last 11 matches across all competitions.
Omer Beyaz will start in midfield for Basaksehir while Miguel Crespo and Berat Ozdemir are sidelined with suspensions.
Regarding injuries, Serdar Gurler is likely to return later this month after missing time due to a muscle problem.
With 12 goals, striker Krzysztof Piatek leads the league in scoring and will try to snap his two-game scoring slump.
Mauro Icardi is still out for Galatasaray due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Osimhen, who is now two goals behind Piatek for the league's top scorer title, is expected to make a comeback and bring more firepower.
