Rizespor vs Galatasaray

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Galatasaray has faced a challenging period after their 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but Okan Buruk's team doesn't have the luxury of dwelling on the past. They are determined to put the midweek disappointment behind them as they head to Rize to play against Caykur Rizespor on Saturday night.

In the context of the Super Lig, Galatasaray triumphed in the highly-anticipated Istanbul derby, beating Besiktas 2-1, while Caykur Rizespor approaches this match on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Kayserispor. The emotions are likely still running high in the Galatasaray dressing room following their impressive performance against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

During that match, the reigning Super Lig champions had numerous scoring opportunities and could have easily secured a victory against the Bundesliga side. Remarkably, this defeat was their first in all competitions this season. However, if we examine the Super Lig standings, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are the only two teams that have remained unbeaten this season.

Currently occupying the second spot in the table, Galatasaray trails local rivals Fenerbahce by two points. Their only dropped points came in a match against Kayserispor over two months ago. Buruk's squad is currently on an impressive eight-game winning streak, during which they've scored a total of 18 goals, managing to score two or more goals in seven of those eight matches.

They won all four games and kept a clean sheet in three of them, with the lone away encounter they did not score in being a goalless draw against Kayserispor.

Things were much quieter during the week because Caykur Rizespor does not have access to European football this season. They will be totally focused on Sunday's huge game against one of the Super Lig leaders.

Prior to the international break, Ilhan Palut's team defeated Samsunspor 1-0 before suffering a 3-1 loss on the road at Kayserispor.

Baris Alper Yilmaz is a potential choice for the right-wing position at Galatasaray, replacing Tete, while there's a strong possibility of Hakim Ziyech stepping in for Wilfried Zaha. Furthermore, Spanish left-back Angelino might bring a new dimension to the left side, taking the place of Kazimcan Karatas.

Mauro Icardi, on the other hand, is in an outstanding form this season, with a remarkable streak of scoring in six out of his last seven games across all competitions. Caykur Rizespor, in contrast, lacks the same depth in talent and is expected to field a similar starting lineup as they did against Kayserispor.

Unfortunately, midfielder Oscar Pinchi is currently sidelined due to an ankle injury, and his return is not expected until early November at the earliest. On a more positive note, Mithat Pala has completed his suspension and is likely to return to the starting lineup.

Galatasaray should keep an eye on Benhur Keser, who is their top scorer with three goals and can be a significant threat to their defensive line.

The team's play has significantly declined as of late; they have only won one of their previous four games and have given up nine goals in total.

Despite the fact that the hosts are hosting a wounded beast, their home record indicates that they won't be so simple to beat—they are still undefeated in four home games and have only let up one goal thus far.

Galatasaray will enter Sunday's encounter unscathed, despite the fact that their Champions League meeting against Bayern Munich in midweek was extremely rough and fierce.

But playing that hard undoubtedly took a toll on some players' physical health, so coach Buruk is probably going to make some adjustments.

Rizespor will host Galatasaray at the Caykur Didi Stadyumu for a Turkish Super Lig match on October 28. Rizespor is coming off a 3-1 loss to Kayserispor, where Mame Thiam scored a hat-trick, while Altin Zeqiri scored for Rizespor.

Galatasaray, on the other hand, suffered a 3-1 defeat at home against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. Kingsley Coman opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and Mauro Icardi equalized from the penalty spot in the first half. Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala added goals in the second half for Bayern Munich.

Returning to the domestic league, Galatasaray recently defeated city rivals Besiktas 2-1 at home, holding onto the second position in the standings with 25 points from nine matches, just two points behind arch-rivals Fenerbahce. Rizespor currently occupies the eighth position with 14 points from nine games.

Historically, Galatasaray has a strong record against Rizespor, winning 30 of their last 47 meetings while losing eight. In their most recent encounter in February 2022, Galatasaray staged a comeback to win 4-2 at home. Five of their last six matches, including the last four, have seen at least three goals scored.

Galatasaray's loss to Bayern Munich put an end to their 17-game unbeaten streak at the start of the season across various competitions. Interestingly, four of Rize's last five league games have seen more goals scored in the second half than in the first. Galatasaray has scored at least twice in five of their last six away matches across competitions.

Despite their strong start to the season, Galatasaray finds themselves playing catch-up due to Fenerbahce's remarkable performance in the league, with their recent defeat to Bayern Munich marking their first loss of the season and ending a six-game winning streak in all competitions.