Galatasaray Prepares for the Fenerbahçe Derby

Galatasaray will host Fenerbahçe at RAMS Park tomorrow. In the 138 league derbies between the two teams, the side that scored first has won 82 times. This stands out as one of the most important factors in deciding derby outcomes.

This season in the Süper Lig, Galatasaray have taken 4 points from matches in which they fell behind, and they have not lost any match in which they took the lead. Fenerbahçe's record is different. They lost both matches in which they went ahead, and they could not turn the score around when they trailed.

What strengthened Galatasaray's morale was their 4-2 away win over Lille in the Champions League. Experts praised the way the team played on the pitch more than the scoreline. Galatasaray covered 117 kilometres against Lille, and averaged 114 kilometres per match over three matches at the Devler Arena. Their average distance in the Süper Lig is 99 kilometres.

Head coach Okan Buruk drew attention to the performance against Lille in a meeting with his players. Buruk said he wants to see the same tempo and pressing approach on the pitch in the derby. He expects high performance for the full 90 minutes, especially from his midfielders and wingers.

In the Fenerbahçe camp, İsmail Kartal faced fan criticism after the 2-2 draw with Slavia Prague. Even so, it is reported that Kartal spoke with confidence ahead of the derby. He is said to have stated that he believes his team will finish the derby with a victory.