Fenerbahçe vs Beşiktaş – News and Probable Lineups

This Sunday, all eyes in Istanbul and the broader football community will be on the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, where Fenerbahce, currently in second place, will take on fourth-placed Besiktas in a significant derby that could have a major impact on the Turkish Super Lig title race.

The stakes for this match are raised even higher by Saturday’s heavyweight clash featuring Trabzonspor – sitting in third place and tied on points with Fenerbahce – against league leaders Galatasaray, who boast a four-point cushion above both teams.

Match overview

The result of Saturday’s showdown between Trabzonspor and Galatasaray may strongly affect the dynamics of Sunday’s derby – should the leaders falter, Fenerbahce will have a chance to narrow the gap at the top of the table.

On the other hand, if Trabzonspor secures victory, Fenerbahce will face immense pressure to maintain pace in what is evolving into a thrilling title race.

No matter the earlier outcome, Domenico Tedesco’s team will aim to harness the confidence from their near-perfect home record this season, with nine wins and four draws in league play, especially after an impressive 4-1 triumph over Gaziantep in their last match before the international break, where Dorgeles Nene netted a hat-trick and N’Golo Kante contributed another goal.

This commanding showing was a quick recovery from their first league defeat of the season, a disappointing 2-0 loss to bottom-placed Fatih Karagumruk, which underscored a recurring concern for the Kadikoy club, who occasionally falter under the heaviest of pressures.

The weight of chasing a first league title since the 2013-14 season has been significant for Fenerbahce in recent years, and these mental challenges will be put to the test once more against a Besiktas team that has enjoyed recent triumphs in this matchup.

The Yellow Canaries have suffered defeats in their last two meetings at Sukru Saracoglu – a 1-0 loss in league play and a 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup – alongside three losses in the last four encounters between the two sides.

Nonetheless, having secured an exciting 3-2 win in the previous match this season, Fenerbahce will be confident in their ability to achieve a league double against their rivals, something they last accomplished during the 2023-24 campaign.

On the other hand, Besiktas comes into this fixture as one of the most improved teams in the league under Sergen Yalcin, with only Trabzonspor surpassing their haul of 12 points collected across the last five Super Lig matches.

Currently positioned fourth with 52 points, the Black Eagles trail Fenerbahce by eight points but are comfortably situated within the top four, maintaining a nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.

While the outcome of Sunday’s match may not definitively decide whether Besiktas enters the title race or risks dropping out of European contention, they will embrace the chance to affect the championship race while solidifying their own status ahead of those trailing behind.

That said, the top two teams in the league have proven to be tough adversaries for Besiktas this season, with their only losses in all competitions since November coming at the hands of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, with the latter defeat occurring last month.

Following that loss to the league leaders, the Black Eagles responded well, winning their last two matches, first achieving a 2-0 victory over Genclerbirligi and then a 2-1 win against Kasimpasa right before the break.

Team News

Fenerbahce will be missing defenders Caglar Soyuncu and Nelson Semedo due to injuries, and former West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez is sidelined with an ankle issue.

However, they are bolstered by the return of highly regarded defender Milan Skriniar, who has resumed training with the team after recovering from injury.

They also have the option of Anderson Talisca, who made his return from injury with a substitute appearance lasting just over half an hour in the win against Gaziantep.

Besiktas, too, faces its own injury challenges, with defender Emirhan Topcu still out with a thigh injury, while forward El Bilal Toure continues to be unavailable for the derby.

Additionally, Necip Uysal is nursing a slight knock and will need a late fitness test to determine his viability for selection, while Devrim Sahin is also confirmed to be sidelined.

Orkun Kokcu, who leads the current Besiktas squad in league goals this season with six, will aim to keep up his form having scored in each of the club’s last two Super Lig outings.

Fenerbahce probable starting XI:

Ederson; Demir, Oosterwolde, Mercan; Musa, Kante, Guendozi, Brown; Asensio; Talisca, Nene

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Destanolglu; Murillo, Uduokhai, Agbadou, Yilmaz; Earth; Cerny, Cook, Original, Olaitan; Oh

Given Fenerbahce’s strong home form, the heightened stakes of the title race, and Yalcin’s tactical insights, an intense match is to be anticipated.

Besiktas possesses the attacking capabilities to capitalize on defensive mistakes, and with the pressure of Saturday’s outcomes looming over the stadium, nerves may be a factor, leading us to predict a fiercely contested draw.