Round 35 of the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig kicks off with a clash between Fenerbahce, who are clinging to a slim title hope, and Istanbul Basaksehir, who remain in contention for a European place.
The Yellow Canaries must overturn an eight-point gap on league leaders Galatasaray in their remaining four fixtures, as their title hopes suffered a significant setback following a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to city rivals Besiktas.
Match preview
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Fenerbahce's title bid was dealt a major blow as they succumbed to a narrow loss against Besiktas, a result that has left their championship aspirations hanging by a thread.
Fully aware that only a flawless finish could keep their hopes alive, they were undone by a moment of defensive indecision which was clinically punished by Gedson Fernandes, while the Black Eagles executed a near-perfect defensive display, leaving Jose Mourinho's men with a mountain to climb.
The former Real Madrid boss became the first Fenerbahce manager since Joachim Low in the 1998-99 season to lose both of his first two encounters against Besiktas.
Mourinho's tenure has been marred by inconsistency, with public disputes surrounding alleged league conspiracies adding further turbulence to an already underwhelming campaign, but as it stands, Fenerbahce are on the verge of going 11 years without a league title.
The Portuguese's record in encounters against top teams has been particularly poor, having failed to win in five meetings against Galatasaray and Besiktas across all competitions, drawing once and losing four, while he also failed to defeat any of the top six sides in the division.
With second place already secured, motivation may prove difficult to muster in the final four fixtures, and a sense of disillusionment could seep in, potentially leaving them vulnerable against an in-form Istanbul Basaksehir side.
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The hosts will look to capitalise on Fenerbahce's faltering morale as they aim to end a six-match losing run against the Yellow Canaries, though more importantly, remain firmly in the hunt for a European place, as they sit four points adrift of fourth-placed Besiktas with four rounds remaining.
The Grey Owls have enjoyed a revival in recent weeks, winning five of their last six matches, while they responded emphatically to a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Goztepe by dispatching relegated Hatayspor 4-2 in their most recent outing.
Their recent home form provides additional encouragement, with Basaksehir having won five of their last seven Super Lig matches on home soil, including the previous two.
With momentum on their side and plenty still to play for, the hosts will enter this fixture with greater motivation and belief against a Fenerbahce that have resigned to fate.
Team News
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Istanbul Basaksehir will be without Ousseynou Ba due to injury, with Jerome Opoku expected to deputise in central defence.
Midfielder Onur Ergun is also sidelined, which means Ivan Brnic, who made a strong impact from the bench in the victory over Hatayspor, is likely to be rewarded with a place in the starting XI.
For Fenerbahce, Ismail Yuksek and Mert Muldur are set to replace the injured Sofyan Amrabat and the suspended Caglar Soyuncu respectively.
Mert Hakan Yandas, Jayden Oosterwolde and Rodrigo Becao are all ruled out through injury, while Filip Kostic has completed his suspension and will return to the starting line-up.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Operi, Duarte, Opoku, Sahiner; Ozdemir, Crespo, Kemen; Sari, Piatek, Brnic
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Egribayat; Skriniar, Carlos, Muldur; Mercan, Fred, Yuksek, Szymanski, Aydin; Talisca, En-Nesyri
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-1 Fenerbahce
Istanbul Basaksehir arrive in stronger form and with greater motivation, having reignited their push for European qualification, but despite Fenerbahce's waning title hopes and lack of urgency, their superior individual quality remains a decisive factor, making a draw the likely result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
