Konya Sports Club vs. Galatasaray – News and Probable Lineups

Galatasaray aims to strengthen their lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig as they visit Konyaspor on Friday for round 10 of the competition.

With their recent win against Fenerbahce on Monday, Okan Buruk’s side has accumulated 22 points, whereas Ilhan Palut’s team is currently in 14th place with eight points, having recently halted a streak of three matches without a victory.

Match overview

In a highly competitive derby match, Galatasaray emerged victorious against Fenerbahce, thanks to Victor Osimhen’s precise finishing, leading to a 2-1 win and marking their third consecutive victory in all competitions.

The Nigeria international opened the scoring in the 29th minute through a combination with Baris Alper Yilmaz, and then increased their advantage just before half-time with a header following a rebound from Davinson Sanchez. Although Fenerbahce managed to reduce the deficit with a goal from Irfan Can Kahveci in the 62nd minute, Cimbom successfully held on for the victory.

This result allowed Galatasaray to maintain a two-point lead over second-place Amed SK as they enter this round of fixtures, recording seven wins, one draw, and one loss while claiming local pride in one of the fiercest rivalries in Turkish football.

Cimbom has won their last three league encounters, bouncing back decisively after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Trabzonspor. However, they are now headed to a venue where they lost 2-0 in their last visit and have faced defeat in four out of their last six travels.

Konyaspor will be looking to build on their strong home performance against the reigning champions, heading into this match with renewed confidence following a 2-0 triumph over Genclerbirligi, where centre-back Chidozie Awaziem remarkably scored twice to secure the win.

This victory marked their third consecutive home match without defeat after previously achieving a goalless draw against Istanbul Basaksehir and a 1-0 win over Trabzonspor, with the Anatolian Eagle achieving clean sheets in each of these fixtures following an initial two-match home losing streak.

The recent win also broke a streak of three league matches without a victory (two draws and one loss), bringing Konyaspor’s points total to eight from their first nine league encounters, which includes two wins, two draws, and five losses.

While their defensive form at home is encouraging, they will need to demonstrate greater ambition in possession against a Galatasaray team that has gathered nine points on the road this season.

Team News

Konyaspor will be missing Adil Demirbag, who is continuing his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury, marking him as their only confirmed absence.

Ugurcan Yazgili is back from a muscle injury and played for seven minutes in the last match, which puts him in contention for a return to the starting XI, while Enis Destan was named to the bench for the first time since September 5 after overcoming a knee issue.

Awaziem is anticipated to maintain his position at the heart of defense alongside Rayyan Baniya following his two-goal performance against Genclerbirligi, with Palut likely to uphold the defensive strategy that has yielded three consecutive home clean sheets.

Galatasaray may need to implement some changes after the derby, with Abdulkerim Bardakci being referred to the disciplinary committee as a precaution due to a post-match incident involving Fenerbahce, which could leave him unavailable for this fixture, thus opening up the chance for Mario Lemina to partner with Sanchez in central defense.

Wilfried Singo made a two-minute appearance against Fenerbahce after recovering from a thigh injury, and his readiness for a more significant contribution remains to be seen.

Osimhen is projected to lead the attacking front after his impactful brace, with Yilmaz and Yunus Akgun among those likely to provide support.

Konyaspor probable starting lineup:

Pumpkin; Andzouana, Awaziem, Baniya, Masuaku; Jevtovic, Ibrahimoglu; Thunder, Snow, Dompe; Don’t

Galatasaray probable starting lineup:

Chakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Lemina, Jacobs; Sara, Torreira; Akgun, Batrakov, Yilmaz; Osimhen

The robust defensive record of Konyaspor at home suggests that this match could be more competitive than indicated by the league table; however, the attacking prowess and recent momentum of Galatasaray may grant them the advantage as they aim to secure another three points.