Defending champion Galatasaray heads into a high-stakes Istanbul derby against a revitalized Beşiktaş on March 7 in a clash that could either cement its lead atop Süper Lig standings or blow the title race wide open.
The match at Tüpraş Stadium finds the visiting side sitting in first place with 58 points, four ahead of second-placed Fenerbahçe. Beşiktaş, currently fourth with 46 points, is looking to extend an impressive 17-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
Beşiktaş coach Sergen Yalçın has overseen a dramatic turnaround in form, punctuated by a 4-1 Ziraat Turkish Cup win over Rizespor on March 4.
Yalçın has credited January signing Oh Hyun-gyu of South Korea for sparking the offense, but the "Black Eagles" face their toughest test yet against a Galatasaray side that has conceded only 18 goals in 24 league matches.
"Initially, we had serious problems concentrating on the league,” Yalçın, who took over as coach in late August, said after the Rizespor match.
“The Beşiktaş community is not accustomed to this; it is a community used to winning trophies,” he added.
“Later, we entered a recovery phase. We made transfers during the winter break. We were in intensive care, but we’ve pulled through. We are still not in the position we want to be, but we are putting in a lot of effort to achieve that. I hope that from now on, we will all bring Beşiktaş back to where it belongs together."
Galatasaray continues to compete in three fronts, advancing to the Turkish Cup quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Alanyaspor on March 2 with a tough Champions League round of 16 clash at home against Liverpool scheduled for March 10.
"Between our current league standing and reaching the Round of 16 in Europe, as well as finishing top of our group in the Turkish Cup, we are moving forward with even greater psychological strength,” Buruk said on March 2.
“Naturally, our objective is to perform at our best across all three competitions."
History favors the home side: Beşiktaş has won eight of its last 10 matches at home against Galatasaray in all competitions. Overall, this marks the 360th meeting between the sides, with Galatasaray holding 128 wins to Beşiktaş’s 116.
With its two rivals playing each other, Fenerbahçe has an opportunity to tighten the gap at the summit when it plays Samsunspor on March 8.
Fenerbahçe was held to draws in its last two matches, both against teams fighting against relegation, and wants to get back into winning ways in front of its own fans.
The club’s coach, Domenico Tedesco, missed two matches due to pneumonia, but is expected to be on the sidelines on March 8.
