Galatasaray, Bursaspor capitalize on Fenerbahçe's fall

Galatasaray now leads the Turkcell Super League by four points ahead of closest rival Bursaspor following Fenerbahçe’s loss at Istanbul Municipality.

The leader’s 4-1 victory against Kasımpaşaspor on Sunday night during week 23 of league play gave the Galatasaray community some hope for the title.

The winning side put in a dominant performance, led by Ivorian Abdul Kader Keita and Mexican Giovani Dos Santos. It was the latter’s best performance since his arrival during the winter transfer season.

Giovani said the reason for his dismal performances up until Sunday was his lack of physical fitness. “I had a long break from football due to injury, and I came to Galatasaray to play,” the Mexican told reporters after the game. “I’m getting better everyday. I would love to have scored tonight, but the most important thing is my team won and I contributed in the victory.”

Galatasaray coach Frank Rijkaard also praised Giovani. “He is a great talent, and we knew that he needed some time to adjust,” the Dutchman told a post-game press conference. “I’m happy with his performance tonight, he will a major contributor in our title challenge.”

Keita also received a special compliment from his coach. “I specifically want to congratulate Keita, he scored two very important goals and his overall performance was sensational.”

Galatasaray has been hit by injuries for the last few months, but managed to keep the boat afloat. Czech striker Milan Baros and Australian midfielder Harry Kewell are expected to be back next week, giving more options to Rijkaard.

“Their return will be good for the team and we will all be very happy to have them back,” said the coach. “But don’t be mistaken, they will not play for the 90 minutes immediately. They are both coming back from major injuries and will need time to catch up with their earlier performances.”

What made the victory over Kasımpaşaspor more important for Galatasaray players and supporters was Fenerbahçe’s 2-1 loss at Atatürk Olympic Stadium earlier in the afternoon. The Canaries have been unable to win in their last seven official games while the team’s recent performances have started creating protests from supporters.

Coach Christoph Daum defended his players in previous disappointing encounters by saying he was happy with his players’ struggle on the pitch, but this time he was clearly angry.

“This is the first time in my career that my team has been unable to win for seven consecutive games,” he said after the match. “The players had too many individual mistakes tonight. We lost the ball when we were preparing attacks and let our opponents score on counter attacks. This is not the way to win a game.”

The German coach said Fenerbahçe needs a victory urgently “for us, the supporters and the club board,” adding that a similar performance in next week’s game against Antalyaspor would be unacceptable.

“The title is a distant possibility with the team’s current level of play,” he said. “We must play better and start winning.”

While archrivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe battle each other in the title challenge, Bursaspor continues its pursuit with a dominant 3-0 win over Sivasspor in Sakarya carrying the club to second place.

The game was played in Sakarya behind closed doors due to a punishment imposed on the host team by the federation for unruly fan behavior.

With a game in hand, the representative of Turkey’s biggest automotive industry city has proven itself a serious title contender.

Bursaspor coach Ertuğrul Sağlam said winning a home game on neutral ground without supporters was very important. “This team will be fighting for the trophy until the very end, regardless of the circumstances,” a very happy Sağlam said. “The Diyarbakırspor game next week will be like a final for us. We will then host Manisaspor and Denizlispor, respectively, and I believe that Bursaspor will be at a much better place after those games.”

The successful coach said the Sivasspor game should be “the last home game away” in urging Bursaspor supporters to act more calmly.