The first match in the second round of the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig season will feature Hatayspor’s relegation candidate against Galatasaray, a title favourite at Mersin Stadium on Friday.
The two teams locked horns in the initial games of this season last year when two stoppage time goals from Mauro Icardi and Michy Batshuayi ensured that Cimbom clinched a narrow 2 – 1victory on their home ground.
Hatayspor enters the third full-time manager of the season in Murat Sahin, former assistant coach, who is trying to avoid relegation for the team in a tense season.
Yilmaz Bal’s short stint as the coach of Trabzonspor saw the end after he had only the time to guide the side through two successive 2-1 loses – to Fenerbahce at the beginning of the year and against Caykur Rizespor last Saturday.
The Star of the South are currently experiencing one of the worst form any team could think of in the league without a win in the last seven league games and a really poor run of recording only one win from the last 18 Super Lig games and the team is second from bottom in the league having only nine points, eleven points behind the relegation playoff spot.
Still, it is possible that a good showing and any victory for the hosts on Friday would keep alive their chances to stay afloat and, according to the experienced, this team is rather stable on their home ground where they lost only in two of their last five games to the guests and even won with a score of 2-1 in the lineup’s latest match at a venue of Mersin Stadium.
However, Galatasaray are dealing with outside influences coming from Fenerbahce’s claims of Bias referees but one thing remains clear, Cimbom is focused on retaining their Super Lig title.
Baris Yilmaz's brace sealed a 2-1 victory, marking his ninth and tenth of the season, making him the club's joint-top scorer with Victor Osimhen. Okan Buruk's team overcame bad weather and a tenacious Istanbul Basaksehir team, who had previously been undefeated at home.
Fenerbahce released a scathing statement after the game, accusing Galatasaray of having been "gifted" the match, saying VAR had favored Basaksehir, and urging the Turkish Football Federation to step in.
Galatasaray's perfect away record of eight wins in eight games highlights their supremacy this season despite the off-field controversy, but a trip to a traditionally difficult ground adds another level of suspense to this encounter.
Jonathan Okoronkwo, a midfielder for Hatayspor, will be out till next month due to a foot injury.
Goalie Erce Kardesler will also miss the match because of his accumulation of yellow cards, and Cengiz Demir has been suspended after receiving a red card against Adana Demirspor.
Icardi is gone for the season due to a cruciate ligament injury, but Galatasaray is still adjusting to his absence.
Gabriel Sara, a midfielder, has joined Icardi on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury that will keep him out until next month.
