Europe-chasing Eyupspor aim to derail Galatasaray's Super Lig title push in Sunday's gameweek 33 contest at Eyup Stadi.
Arda Turan's men smashed Adana Demirspor 6-0 in their last home fixture and now seek consecutive league victories in front of their supporters to halt Gala's four-match winning streak in all competitions.
Match preview
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Eyupspor are living the dream in their first season in the Super Lig, as evidenced by their fourth-place ranking heading into their final five fixtures of the 2024-25 campaign.
Turan's men enter the upcoming round with 50 points from 31 matches, one fewer than Samsunspor in third, one more than fifth-placed Besiktas and two higher than Istanbul Basaksehir in sixth.
Having played one game more than Besiktas and Basaksehir, the four-way battle involving the teams from third to sixth for the final two continental spots promises more twists in the concluding rounds this term.
Aiming to finish the weekend in third place above Samsunspor, Eyupspor must secure maximum points against the table-topping side to give themselves a chance of success at Galatasaray's expense.
However, this will require the Istanbul side to clinch back-to-back wins for the first time since January, when they defeated Alanyaspor (3-0) and Sivasspor (1-0).
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Since those victories, Turan's team have won just two of their next five matches in front of their supporters, which the league leaders hope to exploit as they pursue a fifth straight win in all tournaments.
Okan Buruk's team have claimed four consecutive victories since falling to Besiktas at the end of March, with wins over Samsunspor (2-0) and Bodrum (2-0) allowing the Yellow-Reds to secure back-to-back clean sheets.
With only five points separating Gala from Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in second as both teams enter their final six games, the title is far from assured for the visitors.
Nonetheless, the recent clean sheets in the league, including the victory at Samsunspor, which saw Buruk's men achieve their first away shutout after four attempts, mean Gala do not always need to outscore their opponents.
This puts the defending league champions in a strong position as the season enters its final stretch, and Aslan aim to secure three clean sheets in a row against fellow Istanbul high-flyers.
However, the away side will be cautious of their hosts, who held them to a 2-2 draw at Rams Park in December.
Team News
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Although Leo Dubois's involvement is uncertain, Fredrik Midtsjo is out for the season with a severe knee injury, while Sinan Gumus is not expected to return until next month.
Eight of Mame Thiam's 14 Super Lig goals have been match-winners, which is a league high, highlighting the significance of his decisive contributions for the newcomers.
Nine of Thiam's 14 goals have been scored on home soil, and the Senegalese forward aims to reach double figures in front of his supporters this weekend.
While Baris Alper Yilmaz is unavailable due to suspension, Elias Jelert and Kaan Ayhan are not expected to participate on Sunday, and Mauro Icardi's knee injury rules him out until next season.
Victor Osimhen leads the goalscoring charts in Turkey with 21 goals, and the Napoli loanee strives to increase his tally to fend off the challenge of Krzysztof Piatek on 20.
No player has scored more away goals than Osimhen (11), who is three clear of the next best, Rizespor's Ali Sowe (eight), and the Gala forward could improve on that return in Sunday's fixture.
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Vezo, Yalcin, Claro, Meras; Kayan, Kabaskal, Bingol; Akbaba, Thiam, Erkin
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Frankowski, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Lemina; Akgun, Mertens, Sallai; Osimhen
We say: Eyupspor 1-2 Galatasaray
Galatasaray have responded to their only away defeat this term with two consecutive top-flight wins, and they are favoured to extend Eyupspor's wait for consecutive home victories since January by securing a narrow win over Turan's team.
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