Fenerbahce vs Besiktas

Fenerbahce aim to keep their Turkish Super Lig title dreams alive as they host fierce rivals Besiktas at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for a heated Istanbul derby on Sunday evening.

Trailing league leaders Galatasaray by five points with only five games remaining, the hosts have little room for mistakes in their quest for a first championship since 2014.

Following a frustrating 3-3 draw against Kayserispor, the Yellow Canaries rallied with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Gaziantep, netting three goals in a rapid four-minute second-half burst to secure the comeback.

Fenerbahce have been prolific in attack, scoring at least three goals in each of their past five Super Lig matches, a scoring streak they hope will propel them past Besiktas.

Yet, they must avoid a repeat of their 1-0 loss to Besiktas in the reverse fixture, as another defeat could mark their first season losing both league derbies since 2004-05.

At Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Fenerbahce have been dominant, earning more home points than any other team this season, and with three home games left, the Yellow Canaries aim to capitalize on their fortress.

The hosts are desperate to avoid any missteps, aware that Galatasaray must falter twice for them to have a genuine shot at closing the gap.

Meanwhile, Besiktas arrive at the derby boosted by a 5-1 thrashing of Hatayspor, a result that snapped their three-game winless run and revived their push for European qualification.

Ciro Immobile’s hat-trick in that victory lifted his confidence, having endured over three months without a goal from open play until last weekend, his previous strike coming from a penalty in March.

The Black Eagles currently hold fourth place, two points ahead of Eyupspor with a game in hand, while also chasing third-placed Samsunspor, who are just two points ahead despite playing an extra match.

However, Besiktas have struggled on the road, going winless in their last three away games, with draws against Goztepe and Kasimpasa and a defeat to Kasimpasa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recognizes this as their toughest remaining fixture, with four more manageable games against Adana Demirspor, Alanyaspor, Caykur Rizespor, and Bodrumspor following this potentially pivotal clash.