Galatasaray vs Antalyaspor

On Friday, Galatasaray will face Antalyaspor at Rams Park in an attempt to solidify their lead in the Turkish Super Lig.

Despite having played one more game, Cimbom narrowly defeated Alanyaspor 2-1 in their most recent encounter, increasing their advantage over second-place Fenerbahce to seven points.

Although their victory last weekend ended a run of two straight draws, Galatasaray had to work hard in recent weeks to keep their position as league leaders.

Despite making eight goal efforts in that half, the defending champions were unable to tie the score after Alanyaspor took the lead with a goal from Tonny Vilhena in the 23rd minute.

Okan Buruk’s team showcased their championship potential by mounting a second-half comeback, sparked by an own goal from Fidan Aliti, which shifted the momentum. Victor Osimhen then sealed the turnaround with a decisive header.

Despite Galatasaray maintaining an unbeaten streak over 26 matches, some fans remain skeptical about Buruk’s leadership. He’ll aim to win them over with a series of commanding performances in the coming games.

Their next challenge is against Antalyaspor, a team Galatasaray has historically dominated. Out of 67 encounters, Galatasaray has claimed 41 victories, suffering only eight losses. They also enter this match on a five-game winning streak against Antalyaspor.

Antalyaspor’s record against Galatasaray is particularly bleak, especially at Rams Park, where they haven’t secured an away win since 2010. Their last victory in this fixture overall came in 2016.

However, Antalyaspor will be motivated to disrupt Galatasaray’s momentum, especially after their thrilling 2-1 win over Caykur Rizespor in their previous match. Trailing after Ali Sowe’s goal just before the hour mark, Adolfo Gaich emerged as the hero, scoring twice in stoppage time (90th and 98th minutes) to snatch a dramatic victory. This result could inspire them to play the role of spoilers in their upcoming clash.

After failing to get a single shot on goal in their loss to Fenerbahce, they responded well to that triumph, which was their second in three league games.

Emre Belozoglu's team is in a somewhat safe position with a six-point lead over the relegation zone, but their away performance is still a serious worry since they have only managed nine points all season.

Antalyaspor has yet to achieve a win at any of the league's more difficult away locations, and their only victory in their past eight away games in the Super Lig came against struggling Hatayspor.