Derby excitement in the Süper Lig: Star player out for Galatasaray in Beşiktaş derby

League leaders Galatasaray will host Beşiktaş tomorrow in the 10th week of the Süper Lig.

The derby, to be held at RAMS Park, will start at 20:00. Referee Arda Kardeşler will officiate the match. Kardeşler will be assisted by Ceyhun Sesigüzel and Süleyman Özay. The fourth official for the match will be Muhammet Ali Metoğlu.

Okan Buruk's students, who reached the finish line first for two consecutive seasons to secure their 24th title, have also started this season well. The Yellow-Reds have collected 25 points, winning 8 of the 9 matches they have played and drawing 1. Galatasaray, continuing their journey undefeated, sits in the top spot.

Beşiktaş, which has not yet experienced a defeat in the Süper Lig, has achieved 6 wins and 2 draws in 8 matches. The Black-Whites entered the week with 20 points.

SECOND MEETING THIS SEASON

Galatasaray will face Beşiktaş for the second time this season.

The Süper Lig champion Yellow-Reds met the Turkish Cup champion Black-Whites in the Turkcell Super Cup at the beginning of the season. The match ended in a 5-0 victory for Beşiktaş.

Experiencing one of the most lopsided defeats in derby history, Galatasaray both lost the Super Cup to their rival and suffered a major loss of morale before the season.

OKAN BURUK OPERATED ON BEFORE THE DERBY

It remains uncertain whether Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk will be at the helm of his team for the derby.

Buruk, who underwent surgery two days ago due to a sudden case of appendicitis, has been discharged from the hospital and is resting.

JAKOBS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY FOR GALATASARAY

Galatasaray's Senegalese left-back Ismail Jakobs will not be able to take the field in tomorrow's derby.

Jakobs, who was injured in the match against Onvo Antalyaspor away in the 9th week of the league, has not yet started training with the team. Jakobs, who will be away from the pitch for a while longer, will not be able to take his place in the team for the derby.

Additionally, Kaan Ayhan, who is on the verge of suspension at Galatasaray, will be banned for the next match if he receives a yellow card tomorrow.

UNBEATEN IN LAST 10 MATCHES

Galatasaray has not been defeated in the last 10 official matches they have played.

The Yellow-Reds, who suffered their last defeat against the Swiss representative Young Boys in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, have since played 7 Süper Lig and 3 UEFA Europa League matches.

Galatasaray has recorded 6 wins and 1 draw in the Süper Lig, and 2 wins and 1 draw in Europe.

ICARDI HAS FOUND THE NET IN 4 OF THE LAST 6 MATCHES

Galatasaray's star striker Mauro Icardi has contributed to the score in 4 of the last 6 official matches he has played.

The experienced footballer played three matches each in the Süper Lig and UEFA Europa League in the period starting with the PAOK match on September 25. Icardi, who did not score in one match in both competitions, found the net 5 times in the other 4 matches.

Icardi, who has celebrated 61 goals in a total of 85 official matches in the Yellow-Red jersey, shares the title of the second-highest scoring foreign player in club history with Milan Baros.

The star striker, who has scored 5 goals in 5 matches against Beşiktaş in his Turkey career, will fight for both his team's victory and to surpass Baros in tomorrow's match.

OSIMHEN IS ALSO IN FORM

Galatasaray's Nigerian star Victor Osimhen is also drawing attention with his form ahead of the derby match.

The 25-year-old striker, who was surprisingly loaned from Italy's Napoli at the beginning of the season, has found the net 3 times in the last 2 matches he played in the Süper Lig.

Osimhen will also be one of Galatasaray's most important goal-scoring threats in the Beşiktaş derby.

EFFECTIVE IN ATTACK, TROUBLED IN DEFENSE

While Galatasaray draws attention with its goal-scoring identity in attack, it leaves gaps in defense.

The Yellow-Reds, who have scored 27 goals in the 9 matches they have played in the Süper Lig, stand out as the highest-scoring team among the 19 teams. Galatasaray, which could not prevent 8 goals in these matches, was able to keep a clean sheet in only 3 matches.

Okan Buruk's students, who conceded 5 goals in the Turkcell Super Cup match against Beşiktaş at the beginning of the season, conceded goals in all 5 matches they played in Europe. The Yellow-Reds could not prevent their opponents from scoring 10 goals in Europe.

MERTENS PREPARES FOR HIS "CENTURY" AT GALATASARAY

The Yellow-Reds' Belgian star Dries Mertens will play his 100th official match for Galatasaray if he plays in tomorrow's match.

The 37-year-old footballer, who is in his third season at Galatasaray since transferring in August 2022, has played 75 times in the Süper Lig, 4 in the Turkish Cup, 18 in European cups, and 2 in the TFF Super Cup.

Mertens, who has won two consecutive Süper Lig titles with Galatasaray, has celebrated 23 goals in total, 18 in the league, 1 in the cup, and 4 in Europe.

News Source: AA