In the Turkish Super Lig, title contenders Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are set to face each other in a crucial derby tonight on February 24.
The derby will mark the 402nd encounter between Istanbul giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. Fenerbahce maintains the historic upper hand with 149 victories, while Galatasaray won 129 matches fought between the two. The remaining 123 matches were draws. Fenerbahce has scored 541 goals against Galatasaray, while Galatasaray has scored 497 goals against Fenerbahce.
The first match between the two teams took place on January 17, 1909, with Galatasaray winning 2-0. Galatasaray’s largest victory was 7-0 in 1911, while Fenerbahce’s biggest win was 6-0 in 2002, despite being a man down for part of the game. Galatasaray ended a 20-year winless streak at Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in 2020.
Both teams are consistently strong contenders in the Turkish Super League, with Galatasaray having won the championship 24 times and Fenerbahçe 19 times. The Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce rivalry, known also as the Intercontinental Derby, is one of the most intense and historic football rivalries globally.
As Galatasaray aims to extend its 6-point lead over its rival and continue reigning at the top spot at Turkish Super Lig for the 2024/25 season, Fenerbahce seeks to reduce the gap to 3 points and intensify its title challenge.
Galatasaray remains undefeated in the league with 20 wins and 3 draws, leading the table with 63 points. Fenerbahce, on the other hand, is second with 57 points, having 18 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses.
Match Details:
Meanwhile, the match will be officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, with assistants Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic.
Turkish referee Kadir Saglam will be the fourth official.
Galatasaray will be without three players due to injuries: Alvaro Morata, Ismail Jakobs, and Mauro Icardi. Yunus Akgun, who has recovered from his injury, is expected to be included in the squad.
Meanwhile, there is some speculation about the goalkeepers for both teams. Fenerbahce’s Dominik Livakovic has recovered from injury, leaving coach Mourinho with a decision to make between Livakovic and Irfan Can Egribayat. For Galatasaray, Fernando Muslera is expected to return to the goal after Gunay Guvenc’s performance in the midweek match against Alkmaar.
