Galatasaray visits Gençler in Super League

REUTERS photo

Galatasaray hopes to snap a three-game winless run with a visit to impressive Ankara side Gençlerbirliği tonight.

The game will start the eighth match day of the Spor Toto Super League.

After a nearly perfect start of four wins in five matches, Galatasaray suffered its first defeat at Orduspor in round six. The defeat was followed by a 2-0 loss against Braga in the Champions League and a 1-1 draw against Eskişehirspor on the domestic stage.

Coach Fatih Terim tried to ease his team’s problems during the international break, but the club’s woes was not helped by injuries to two key players, playmaker Selçuk İnan and forward Burak Yılmaz. Both players were yet not cleared for selection yesterday, with a note on the club’s official website stating that the final decision would be made on match day.

Gençlerbirliği is one of the best performers in the division, and the team is sitting third after posting three wins and three draws in seven matches. The Ankara team would rise to the top of the league – at least temporarily – with a win. Galatasaray has 14 points, while Gençlerbirliği has 12 points, one behind second-placed Orduspor, the only unbeaten team left in the league.

Gençlerbirliği Chairman İlhan Cavcav, one of the most flamboyant figures on the Turkish football scene, said that even though he liked Galatasaray, his team would seek nothing less than a victory.

“Normally I support Galatasaray, but when it comes to Gençlerbirliği, there is no other team left for me,” Cavcav told Anatolia news agency. “Galatasaray is a good team but we will play to win. We are third now and will play against the leader. If we get the win, then we will have an open road ahead.”

Tonight’s Super League match at the Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium starts at 8 p.m.