Turkish Super Lig Update: Galatasaray Faces Growing Pressure as Fenerbahçe Narrows the Lead

This past weekend was pivotal in the Super Lig, with Fenerbahce seizing the opportunity to close the gap on a Galatasaray team currently lacking direction.

The success for Fenerbahce kicked off on Sunday afternoon as they watched Galatasaray take on Kasimpasa.

The two-time reigning champions have had a challenging history with Kasimpasa, having earlier drawn 3-3 after leading 3-0 this season, and narrowly winning 4-3 in their last encounter during the previous season.

Once again, they found Kasimpasa to be a tough opponent, managing only a dramatic 3-3 draw.

After trailing 2-1, Galatasaray did manage to rally and go ahead 3-2 thanks to goals from Mario Lemina and Victor Osimhen. However, a series of bewildering substitutions by manager Okan Buruk allowed Kasimpasa to equalise late in the game from the penalty spot, with new signing Carlos Cuesta still adjusting to life in the red and yellow jersey.

To be frank, a draw was the absolute maximum the champions could claim. Their performance was a continuation of their recent struggles, and without Fernando Muslera’s heroics, they might have faced an even heavier defeat in the first half.

Currently, Galatasaray’s form is a chaotic mess. They have not won in their last four outings and have managed just one victory in their last six. Fans are growing increasingly unhappy with Okan’s tactics and approach, which appear overly reliant on getting the ball to Osimhen—who was one of the few shining stars in the match against Kasimpasa—and simply hoping for a positive outcome.

Pressure is rapidly mounting on the manager, and he must find a way to improve performances swiftly, or their hopes of clinching a third consecutive Super Lig title may slip through their fingers.

Fenerbahce on the Ascendancy

Conversely, Fenerbahce is not experiencing any such woes. Under Jose Mourinho, they have gained significant momentum and enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Antalyaspor, achieved just hours after Galatasaray’s match.

The performance was commanding and assured, with Mert Muldur, Dusan Tadic, and Youssef En Nesyri all netting within the first half-hour while Fenerbahce barely shifted out of second gear.

This victory leaves them unbeaten in 18 matches across all competitions, with eight wins and only one draw in their last nine league encounters.

Mourinho has now made history as the first foreign manager to oversee nine consecutive home wins in the Super Lig for Fenerbahce since Christoph Daum in the 2004/05 season.

Regardless of opinions about his questionable antics off the pitch, it’s clear that things are meshing well on the pitch at the moment. Following the weekend’s results, they now find themselves just four points adrift of Galatasaray.

There remains a gap to overcome, which could widen as Fenerbahce will have a weekend off, while Galatasaray has the chance to push their lead to seven points.

However, Fenerbahce is riding a wave of momentum, while the atmosphere at Galatasaray is quite dire. Their focus must be on continuing to win, with hopes that their rivals falter.

Highlight of the Week

Rachid Ghezzal made a stunning contribution with a beautifully curled shot into the top corner, helping Rizespor secure a 3-1 win over Alanyaspor. Ghezzal, previously with Besiktas, has netted four times and provided two assists in the Super Lig this season.

Team of the Week

In the Team of the Week, Besiktas players Emirhan Topcu and Joao Mario feature in the starting line-up, while Victor Osimhen secures his place in attack following his double strike in Galatasaray’s rollercoaster match against Kasimpasa.