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Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and what promises to be an epic title race

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This season in Turkish football has been complete chaos. Fenerbahçe fielded their under-19s team against Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup only for the youngsters to walk off the pitch just one minute into the match in protest at the sanctions handed out by the federation following a violent pitch invasion after a game against Trabzonspor the month before.

By Graham Ruthven

Fenerbahçe subsequently held a vote to decide whether or not to leave the Turkish Süper Lig and join another division somewhere in Europe. All this came after an incident in December which saw a referee punched – and hospitalised – by a club president. This mayhem has become the norm in the country’s top flight in recent times.

And yet amid the mayhem, a Turkish title race for the ages is unfolding. There is just two points between Galatasaray and Fener at the top of the table with just six games of the 2023/24 campaign left to play. The two Istanbul rivals are going head-to-head and further drama is guaranteed. 

Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe have both lost just once in the league so far this season. The defending Turkish champions are currently on a 13-match winning run while Ismail Kartal’s team have won 10 of their last 11 games in the division. This is a title race that looks destined to go the distance with an Intercontinental Derby scheduled for the penultimate fixture of the campaign. 

Mauro Icardi scored the only goal of the abandoned Turkish Super Cup after just one minute and the Argentinean has made finding the back of the net a habit this season. Indeed, Icardi has 19 league goals to his name and is the focal point of Galatasaray’s attack. They are playing to the former Inter and Paris Saint-Germain striker’s strengths.

Okan Buruk has been in place as Galatasaray manager since 2022, but he remoulded his team to fit Icardi and Dries Mertens into the same attack as Turk internationals Barıs Alper Yılmaz and Kerem Akturkoglu. While Buruk traditionally favours a 4-4-2 shape with a low defensive line to create space for quick transitions, he has adopted a more possession-orientated approach this season.

Burak was a legendary player for Galatasaray, winning seven Süper Lig titles, and has played a key role in pushing the club back to the top of Turkish football following a three-year stretch without a title between 2019 and 2022. The 50-year-old has turned Galatasaray into a winning machine.

Statistically, Galatasaray are leading the Turkish Süper Lig for average possession share per match (60.5%). They have also completed the most passes and had the most touches of the ball. This, however, is possession with a purpose as the Rams Park outfit lead the division for shots per game (19.3) – although Fenerbahçe have scored more goals than their rivals. 

Edin Džeko has contributed more than anyone else to Fenerbahce’s goal tally this season. The Bosnian striker has struck 20 league goals and has given The Yellow Canaries the sort of cutting edge they lacked before his arrival from Inter last summer. Many believe Džeko has been the best player in the Turkish Süper Lig this season.

Sebastian Szymański is another Fenerbahçe star who has shone this season. The Polish international is the creative force behind the Fener attack and has recorded 18 goal contributions in the Süper Lig over the course of the campaign. Szymański has been so impressive that the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked.

At 35, Dušan Tadić continues to operate at a high level and is central to the way Fenerbahçe like to overload teams through their use of the ball in the final third. The Serbian spent five years of his career at Ajax and that comes across in his use of possession and appreciation of space. Intelligence is Tadić’s greatest asset. A natural eye for goal has also helped him score nine goals and assist 11 more.

Turkish football has made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons, and a lot has to be untangled before the issues of this season can be moved past. However, the 2023/24 campaign could also be remembered for footballing reasons. The title race between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce could go either way. 

(Match images from IMAGO)

You can follow every Süper Lig game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and what promises to be an epic title race

This season in Turkish football has been complete chaos. Fenerbahçe fielded their under-19s team against Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup only for the youngsters to walk off the pitch just one minute into the match in protest at the sanctions handed out by the federation following a violent pitch invasion after a game against Trabzonspor the month before.

By Graham Ruthven

Fenerbahçe subsequently held a vote to decide whether or not to leave the Turkish Süper Lig and join another division somewhere in Europe. All this came after an incident in December which saw a referee punched – and hospitalised – by a club president. This mayhem has become the norm in the country’s top flight in recent times.

And yet amid the mayhem, a Turkish title race for the ages is unfolding. There is just two points between Galatasaray and Fener at the top of the table with just six games of the 2023/24 campaign left to play. The two Istanbul rivals are going head-to-head and further drama is guaranteed. 

Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe have both lost just once in the league so far this season. The defending Turkish champions are currently on a 13-match winning run while Ismail Kartal’s team have won 10 of their last 11 games in the division. This is a title race that looks destined to go the distance with an Intercontinental Derby scheduled for the penultimate fixture of the campaign. 

Mauro Icardi scored the only goal of the abandoned Turkish Super Cup after just one minute and the Argentinean has made finding the back of the net a habit this season. Indeed, Icardi has 19 league goals to his name and is the focal point of Galatasaray’s attack. They are playing to the former Inter and Paris Saint-Germain striker’s strengths.

Okan Buruk has been in place as Galatasaray manager since 2022, but he remoulded his team to fit Icardi and Dries Mertens into the same attack as Turk internationals Barıs Alper Yılmaz and Kerem Akturkoglu. While Buruk traditionally favours a 4-4-2 shape with a low defensive line to create space for quick transitions, he has adopted a more possession-orientated approach this season.

Burak was a legendary player for Galatasaray, winning seven Süper Lig titles, and has played a key role in pushing the club back to the top of Turkish football following a three-year stretch without a title between 2019 and 2022. The 50-year-old has turned Galatasaray into a winning machine.

Statistically, Galatasaray are leading the Turkish Süper Lig for average possession share per match (60.5%). They have also completed the most passes and had the most touches of the ball. This, however, is possession with a purpose as the Rams Park outfit lead the division for shots per game (19.3) – although Fenerbahçe have scored more goals than their rivals. 

Edin Džeko has contributed more than anyone else to Fenerbahce’s goal tally this season. The Bosnian striker has struck 20 league goals and has given The Yellow Canaries the sort of cutting edge they lacked before his arrival from Inter last summer. Many believe Džeko has been the best player in the Turkish Süper Lig this season.

Sebastian Szymański is another Fenerbahçe star who has shone this season. The Polish international is the creative force behind the Fener attack and has recorded 18 goal contributions in the Süper Lig over the course of the campaign. Szymański has been so impressive that the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked.

At 35, Dušan Tadić continues to operate at a high level and is central to the way Fenerbahçe like to overload teams through their use of the ball in the final third. The Serbian spent five years of his career at Ajax and that comes across in his use of possession and appreciation of space. Intelligence is Tadić’s greatest asset. A natural eye for goal has also helped him score nine goals and assist 11 more.

Turkish football has made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons, and a lot has to be untangled before the issues of this season can be moved past. However, the 2023/24 campaign could also be remembered for footballing reasons. The title race between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce could go either way. 

(Match images from IMAGO)

You can follow every Süper Lig game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.