Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray will attempt to extend their remarkable recent form when they travel to face Giresunspor at Cotanak Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors have won their last 12 matches across all competitions, and will be favourites to make that 13 against a Giresunspor side still searching for their first victory of 2023.
Match preview
© Reuters
Having suffered the ignominy of the worst-ever finish in their 118-year history last season, Galatasaray have well and truly bounced back to the top of Turkish football so far this term.
Manager Okan Buruk has transformed a team that finished 13th last season back into the front-runners for a record-extending 23rd Super Lig crown, and a first since 2018-19.
Galatasaray only once won more than two league games in a row throughout that nightmare 2021-22 campaign, but they travel to Giresun on Saturday looking to set a new club record for most consecutive league victories.
The Istanbul outfit have won their last nine on the bounce in the league, last dropping points more than three months ago on October 23, and - for all their dominance of Turkish football down the years - another triumph this weekend would make it 10 in a row for the first time in their history.
In all competitions that winning run stands at an even-more-impressive 12 matches, while their last 14 outings have seen them win 13 and draw just once, since their last defeat on October 15.
Such an incredible run of form - which includes a memorable 3-0 win away to bitter rivals and closest challengers Fenerbahce earlier this month - has seen Gala climb four points clear of their city rivals at the top of the Turkish Super Lig table, as well as safely booking their passage to the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup.
Considering Buruk's side boast comfortably the best defence in the division and Giresunspor have the third-worst attacking record in the league, it would be an almighty shock if the visitors' seemingly-unstoppable run was to be halted this weekend.
Stranger things have happened, though, and both sides can attest to that looking back as recently as August, when Giresunspor beat Galatasaray 1-0 away from home in the reverse fixture - one of only two defeats Gala have suffered all season.
Indeed, Saturday's hosts have won the last two meetings with Galatasaray, so they may feel more confident than most clubs in their position would do coming up against a born-again juggernaut like this weekend's visitors.
That said, you have to go back to 1972 for Giresunspor's last home victory over Galatasaray, so any win on Saturday would make manager Hakan Keles's 100th game in charge of the club memorable for a number of reasons.
The Cotanaklar come into this match sitting 12th in the table, although they will still be nervously looking over their shoulders with four places but only three points separating them from the drop zone.
It is worth remembering that Giresunspor are only in their second season back in the top flight after a 44-year absence, so survival remains their number one goal despite eye-catching victories away to both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce this season.
If Keles's side are to bloody the noses of one of the big boys again on Saturday then they will need to end a four-game winless streak that has seen them pick up only two points from the 12 on offer since the turn of the year.
Only three teams have picked up fewer points in front of their own fans all season, though, whereas Galatasaray boast the best away record in the division with seven wins, one defeat and just five goals conceded from their 10 such outings - all league-leading figures.
Galatasaray form (all competitions):
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Giresunspor will be without all of their Colombian trio for this match, with Alexis Perez and Robert Mejia both suspended and Jorman Campuzano away on international duty with his country.
Centre-back Perez was shown a straight red card after only 18 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Adana Demirspor last time out, a game which also saw Mejia pick up a late booking which rules him out on disciplinary grounds too.
Kadir Seven is likely to come into the defence for Perez, while the midfield duo of Mejia and Campuzano could be replaced by Murat Cem Akpinar and Vukan Savicevic, although the versatile Gorkem Saglam is also an option.
Sergen Picinciol is also a doubt for the hosts due to injury.
Galatasaray will also be without their first-choice centre-back due to suspension after Abdulkerim Bardakci picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during the 2-1 win over Antalyaspor last time out.
The Turkey international has also been sent off twice this season already, so Gala have recent history of coping without him, although his centre-back partner Victor Nelsson is also a slight doubt for this one following reports of pain in his toe after last weekend's match.
With Matias Ross and Kazimcan Karatas currently sidelined too, Buruk can scarcely afford many more defensive absentees.
At the other end of the pitch, leading scorer Bafetimbi Gomis may again have to settle for a place on the bench after Mauro Icardi netted his sixth goal in nine league outings last time out.
Giresunspor possible starting lineup:
Piri; Bilazer, Arias, Seven, Uludag; Savicevic, Akpinar; Serginho, Saglam, Sainz; Bajic
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Boey, Bayram, Nelsson, Karatas; Torreira, Oliveira; Rashica, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi
We say: Giresunspor 0-3 Galatasaray
Galatasaray look unstoppable at the moment, and all the signs point towards them making it a club-record 10 league wins in a row this weekend, securing the current crop's place in the illustrious history of the club.
Given the form both teams are in, and that the game pits the league's best defence against one of the league's worst attacks, this one looks destined to end in a Galatasaray win to nil.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
