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Besiktas will entertain Istanbul rivals Galatasaray at the Tüpraş Stadyumu in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.
The hosts enjoyed an unbeaten run in February, recording five wins in six games. They registered their 14th win of the league campaign last week, defeating Istanbulspor 2-0 in their away game. They made it three wins on the trot on Wednesday, recording a 2-0 home win over Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup quarterfinals thanks to goals from Salih Uçan and Cenk Tosun.
The visitors have seen a drop in form recently, suffering two losses in their last three games in all competitions. They registered their 23rd win of the league campaign last week, defeating Antalyaspor 2-1, with Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu bagging a first-half brace. He missed from the penalty spot in the second half and failed to complete a hat-trick.
They failed to build on that form in the Turkish Cup quarterfinals, suffering a 2-0 home loss to Fatih Karagumruk. They had suffered a 4-1 loss to Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoffs second leg, giving away an advantage from the first leg.
Besiktas vs Galatasaray Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two Istanbul-based rivals have locked horns 354 times in all competitions thus far. The visitors have the upper hand in these meetings with 126 wins. The hosts are not far behind with 114 wins and 114 games have ended in draws.
- Besiktas have kept consecutive clean sheets in their last six home games across all competitions, recording five wins.
- Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last 15 league outings, recording eight wins on the spin.
- The last seven meetings between the two teams have produced conclusive results, with four wins for the visitors and three games going the hosts' way.
- The visitors have the best defensive record in the Super Lig, conceding 15 goals, with just five of them coming in their travels.
Besiktas vs Galatasaray Prediction
The Black Eagles have seen an upturn in form recently, recording five wins in their last six games. They have kept five clean sheets in that period and have scored two goals apiece in five games as well. They are on a six-game winning run at home against the league leaders, scoring 12 goals while keeping four clean sheets.
Head coach Fernando Santos will be without Gedson Fernandes and Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov in this crucial match as they are suspended due to yellow card accumulation. His team has kept six consecutive clean sheets at home and will look to build on that defensive form.
Cimbom have won 13 of their last 15 league outings and have scored at least twice in 13 games in that period. After going unbeaten in their first 12 games in 2024, they have suffered two losses in their last three games, conceding seven goals while scoring just thrice.
They are winless in their last eight away meetings against the hosts, suffering seven losses, which is cause for concern. Serge Aurier has not yet completed full training with the team and is not an option for this match.
Considering Besikstas' great run in recent games, impressive home form, and home record in this fixture, they are expected to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Besiktas 2-1 Galatasaray
Besiktas vs Galatasaray Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Besiktas to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Cenk Tosun to score or assist any time - Yes
