Galatasaray and Fenerbahce preparations and squad news ahead of the derby

Galatasaray, having beaten Lille 4-2 in France, returned from Europe in good spirits and want to retain the top spot in the league. Head coach Okan Buruk, while preparing his squad for the derby at RAMS Park, gave his players a message about winning. Buruk said he wants the team to regain the lead and open a points gap over Fenerbahce.

Whether Rafael Leao, who is sidelined with an injury, will play in the derby will be decided today. Leao is expected to be on the bench. In midfield, Lemina is expected to gain more influence alongside Torreira. Up front, Osimhen is expected to be the first choice.

On the Fenerbahce side, Ismail Kartal plans to use Kojo Oppong as a centre-back because of an injury in defence. It was reported that Milan Skriniar gave the young player advice ahead of the derby. Kartal said he expects Lukaku to start in the starting eleven, with Muriqi on the bench.

All tickets for the derby have sold out and the stands will be full. Galatasaray supporters will number 50,000 and Fenerbahce supporters around 2,500. Istanbul Police announced that they will take high-level security measures inside and around the stadium. Vehicles without a stadium parking pass will not be allowed to enter the area around the stadium.

Galatasaray President Dursun Ozbek promised the team a bonus of 1.5 million euros in the event of a win, as was done last season. Fenerbahce President Aziz Yildirim also announced that an extra bonus would be paid if they win.