Fenerbahce eyes victory to overtake Galatasaray in 1st Istanbul derby of season
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray will face each other for the 401st time in history with their derby in the Trendyol Super Lig, Istanbul, September 20, 2024 (AA Photo)
Fenerbahce, with 13 points from four wins and one draw in five matches, aims to dethrone league leader Galatasaray in front of its home crowd in the Istanbul derby.
The defending champions, who have won all five of their matches, look to maintain their lead and widen the point gap against their historical rival.
Despite early disappointment in the Champions League, Galatasaray has proven itself a strong contender in the league, scoring 17 goals in five games, the most in the competition.
Both teams have minimal injuries, with Fenerbahce missing Osayi Samuel and Galatasaray without Hakim Ziyech.
The derby will mark coach Jose Mourinho’s first in Türkiye, adding another chapter to his illustrious career of 78 derbies, where he has secured 40 wins, 18 draws and 20 losses.
His counterpart, Okan Buruk, has beaten Fenerbahce three times, with one win by default.
The last few encounters between the teams have been marked by red cards, with 46 shown across their previous 62 matches.
Referee Atilla Karaoglan will officiate the match which will kick off at 8 p.m. local time. Karaoglan’s assistants will be Ceyhun Sesiguzel and Suleyman Ozay.
Tickets for the derby sold out immediately.
Probable Istanbul derby lineups
Dominik Livakovic will play in goal for Fenerbahce. Mert Muldur is expected to play on the right side of the defense. Alexander Djiku and Caglar Soyuncu will play as a stopper duo. Jayden Oosterwolde will play on the left of the defense.
Sofyan Amrabat, Fred Rodrigues, Sebastian Szymanski will start in Fenerbahce’s midfield.
Allan Saint-Maximin will play on the left wing and Dusan Tadic on the right wing. Edin Dzeko is expected to play at forward.
Youssef En-Nesyri is also expected to come into the game later depending on the need for goals.
Fernando Muslera will start in goal for Galatasaray. Kaan Ayhan will play on the right side of the defense and Abdulkerim Bardakci and Davinson Sanchez will play in the center of the defense. Berkan Kutlu is expected to play on the left side of the defense.
Galatasaray will play with the trio of Lukas Torreira, Gabriel Sara and Dries Mertens in the midfield.
Roland Sallai is expected to play on the right wing, while Baris Alper Yilmaz will start on the left. Viktor Osimhen will start at striker.
Mauro Icardi and Michy Bathusayi will be the weapons on the bench for Galatasaray.
History of Fenerbahce-Galatasaray rivalry
In the rivalry that started with a special match held on Jan. 17, 1909 at the place called “Papazin Cayiri” (Pastor’s Meadow) where Ulker Stadium is located and won 2-0 by Galatasaray, Fenerbahce has the advantage in the number of wins and goals scored.
Fenerbahce have won 149 of the remaining 400 matches, while the yellow-red team have prevailed 128 times (one by forfeit). In 123 matches, neither side could break the deadlock.
Fenerbahce scored 541 goals to Galatasaray’s 497 (one goal in the TFF Super Cup match won 3-0 by forfeit).
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have met 134 times in Super League history.
Reflecting its superiority in the overall total in league matches, Fenerbahce outscored its rival 53-37 in the number of wins. Another 44 matches in the league ended in a draw.
In league matches, Fenerbahce scored 163 goals, while Galatasaray scored 130.
Turgay Seren holds the record for the most appearances in Fenerbahce-Galatasaray matches.
Seren, one of the unforgettable goalkeepers of the National Team and Galatasaray, played in 55 matches against Fenerbahce. Seren holds the title of the footballer who played the most matches in the rivalry.
In the remaining matches between the two teams, Galatasaray won the match with the most different score with 7-0.
Galatasaray won 7-0 in the Istanbul League match held on Feb. 12, 1911.
Fenerbahce, on the other hand, won the most differential score against Galatasaray with 6-0 in the first half of the 2002-03 season.
In the highest scoring matches between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, fans saw a total of eight goals each, excluding penalties.
In the league match played at Ali Sami Yen Stadium on June 5, 1983, the rivals played to a 4-4 draw. The Turkish Cup semi-final match between the two teams on February 7, 2001 also ended 4-4.
Goal scorers of the competition
Fenerbahce’s Zeki Riza Sporel scored the most goals in the rivalry. Sporel scored a total of 27 times in 42 matches against Galatasaray.
Zeki Riza Sporel was followed by another Fenerbahce player Alaattin Baydar with 24 goals. Fenerbahce’s Lefter Kucukandonyadis and Galatasaray’s Metin Oktay scored 20 and 19 goals respectively.
Meanwhile, Tanju Colak, who played for both teams, has a total of 22 goals in the rivalry, 14 for Galatasaray and eight for Fenerbahce.
In league matches, Galatasaray’s Metin Oktay and Fenerbahce’s Aykut Kocaman are the top scorers with nine and eight goals respectively.
In the Fenerbahce-Galatasaray rivalry, the most number of goals scored by one player in the same match so far was four.
Galatasaray’s Celal İbrahim, Cemil Gurgen and Metin Oktay and Fenerbahce’s Zeki Riza Sporel each scored four goals in a single match.
Last 10 matches between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce
Of the last 10 derbies between the two teams, two have ended in a draw.
Galatasaray have won five times (one by forfeit) and Fenerbahce three times in the last 10 meetings in the rivalry.
In these derbies, Galatasaray has found the net 12 times, including one in the TFF Super Cup, while Fenerbahce has scored 6 goals.
Meanwhile, in the Super Cup match played in Sanliurfa on April 7, Galatasaray took a 1-0 lead against Fenerbahce with a goal in the first minute, but won the match 3-0 by forfeit after the opponent withdrew from the field.
