We have a derby in Istanbul! The league leaders, Beşiktaş are going to host the 3rd placed Galatasaray at Vodafone Park, counting for the 18th round of the Turkish Super League. Let’s see who is closer to the victory!
The Black Eagles are on a roll at the moment under the guidance of Sergen Yalçın, who is on his way to become a great manager. Having won 11 times, drawn twice, and lost 4 times, Beşiktaş have managed to gather 35 points so far. They are now unbeaten in the last 8 matches they played in all competitions. In fact, they were on a 6-game winning streak until Hatayspor caused them to drop 2 points in the last round of Super League. Beşiktaş faced Rizespor at the Turkish Cup this Wednesday and defeated their opponent with one goal to nil. The head coach did not opt for a full rotation but rested some starters such as Souza, Hutchinson, and Larin who was actually subbed in during the second half and scored the winner.
The visitors, on the other hand, are troubled at the moment. There is a hostile atmosphere surrounding the club. After the Yeni Malatyaspor match at the Turkish Cup, which went to penalty shootouts and granted Galatasaray the ticket to the quarter-finals, Fatih Terim signaled that he will leave the team when his contract ends this summer. The experienced head coach had stated his discontent with club management’s inability to sign the players he wants. It is inevitable that either the club management or the guy who won 8 league titles in 10 seasons as head coach will be gone.
Considering that Galatasaray played a tiring 120-minute game on the road only a few days ago and the negative vibe that will probably affect players’ concentration as well, we believe that Beşiktaş have the upper-hand in the derby. The Black and Whites have displayed clinical performances in several straight rounds. All in all, to our minds, there are 4/10 chances for Beşiktaş to win with -0.25 AH.