The season is on the verge of its culmination, as Fenerbahche and Galatasaray go head-to-head in a direct clash!
The season in the Turkish Super Lig is reaching its peak this weekend. The first and second in the standings face off against each other. The reigning champions Galatasaray will try to defend their title from last year, while the second-place contenders Fenerbahce are fighting for their first title in 10 years. The last time the yellow-blue team became champions was in the 2013/14 season. The hosts Galatasaray are in impressive form, having won all 18 of their home games so far, while Fenerbahce remain unbeaten away with 15 wins and 3 draws from their 18 away matches. On the field, besides the team battle, we will also enjoy an individual duel, with all eyes focused on Mauro Icardi of Galatasaray and Edin Dzeko of Fenerbahce. Icardi leads the season’s scoring list with 23 goals in 32 matches, while Dzeko closely follows with 20 goals in 34 matches.
An interesting fact is that besides the first and second in the standings, the upcoming round also features a match between the third and fourth places – Trabzonspor versus İstanbul Basaksehir. This clash could benefit the fifth-placed Besiktas, who are currently out of the European competitions and will be fighting tooth and nail to move up at least one position in the standings.
The bottom of the table is also very intriguing, with three more relegation spots to be decided besides the already relegated İstanbulspor. The difference between the 19th place and the 12th place in the standings is only 6 points.
Not everything surrounding the Super Lig was about football this past season. We witnessed a series of scandals, passions, and even fights involving club presidents, referees, fans, and even the players themselves. The Turkish Football Federation even took the drastic decision to suspend the league until further notice.
The president of the Ankaragücü football club, Faruk Koca, ran onto the field and struck referee Halil Umut Meler after the Turkish league match against Rizespor.
Koca attacked Meler with his fists after Rizespor scored an equalizing goal in the 97th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw at the “Eryaman” stadium. Ankaragücü fans also stormed the pitch after the match, kicking Meler when he fell to the ground. Eventually, the referee was escorted to the locker room by the police and then taken to the hospital.
The Turkish Football Federation suspended all matches in what was called a “shameful night” for Turkish football, and the Ankara prosecutor’s office issued an arrest warrant for Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca. In the end, the league resumed a week after the enforced stoppage.
However, a new scandal erupted on the first day of the resumption of Turkish club football.
The match from the 17th round of the local Super Lig between Istanbulspor and Trabzonspor was interrupted after the management of the Istanbul team led their players off the field. Trabzon was leading 2-1 when the game was halted after 74 minutes. At that point, the home team’s players were ordered to go to the locker room, as the club’s executives were furious with the referee’s decisions during the match. The reason was disagreement with the referee’s decisions on the field.
Read more about the Other Leagues.
