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Turkish Super Lig | Gameweek 20
Jan 17, 2025 at 5pm UK
Mersin Stadyumu
Galatasaray

Hatayspor
1 - 1
Galatasaray


Diack (45+2'), Corekci (59'), Fernandes (72'), Bekaj (88')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Sertel (28'), Osimhen (56' pen.)
Ayhan (18')

Preview: Hatayspor vs. Galatasaray - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Friday's Turkish Super Lig clash between Hatayspor and Galatasaray, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

A clash between a title favourite and a relegation candidate will unfold at Mersin Stadium when Hatayspor host Galatasaray on Friday to kick off the second round of matches in the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig season.

Both sides faced off on the opening weekend of this campaign, with two late goals from Mauro Icardi and Michy Batshuayi securing a comeback 2-1 victory for Cimbom on home soil.


Match preview

Trainer Murat Sahin of Besiktas during the UEFA Europa League elemnation first leg match between Besiktas (TUR) and Rio Ave (POR) at Vodafone Park Stadium n Istanbul , Turkey on September 24 , 2020.© Imago

Hatayspor will be led by their third full-time manager of the season – Murat Sahin, who steps into his first head coach role after serving as an assistant in the past, aiming to steer the team clear of relegation in what is shaping up to be a challenging season.

Yilmaz Bal's brief interim tenure ended after two consecutive 2-1 defeats—first to Fenerbahce in their opening match of the year, and more recently against Caykur Rizespor last Saturday.

The Star of the South are enduring a dire run of form, winless in seven straight league matches and managing just one victory in their last 18 Super Lig outings, a dismal record that leaves them second-bottom in the table with nine points, a daunting 11 points adrift of safety.

However, a strong performance and any positive result on Friday could reignite their survival hopes, and encouragingly for the hosts, they boast an impressive home record against the visitors, winning four of the last five encounters at Mersin Stadium, including a 2-1 triumph in their most recent meeting at this venue.

Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk at a press conference on August 26, 2024© Imago

Meanwhile, Galatasaray are battling external distractions stemming from Fenerbahce's accusations of refereeing bias, but despite the noise, Cimbom remain focused on defending their Super Lig crown.

Okan Buruk's side overcame poor weather conditions and a resilient Istanbul Basaksehir team, previously unbeaten at home, with a Baris Yilmaz brace sealing a 2-1 victory, marking his ninth and tenth of the season, making him the club's joint-top scorer alongside Victor Osimhen.

Following the match, Fenerbahce issued a fiery statement, alleging that the game had been "gifted" to Galatasaray, claiming VAR had favoured Basaksehir, and calling on the Turkish Football Federation to intervene.

Galatasaray responded with a defiant statement, saying: "In spite of those who are kept in the race by the power of VAR... the immoral people who believe their own lies; in the end, the good guys will win again!"

Despite the off-field drama, Galatasaray's flawless away record of eight wins in eight matches underscores their dominance this season – however, a trip to a historically tricky ground adds another layer of intrigue to this contest.

Hatayspor Turkish Super Lig form:


Hatayspor form (all competitions):
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L

Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:


Galatasaray form (all competitions):



Team News

Galatasaray playmaker Yunus Akgun in October 2024.© Imago

Hatayspor will be without midfielder Jonathan Okoronkwo, who remains sidelined with a foot injury until next month.

Cengiz Demir is suspended following the red card he received against Adana Demirspor, and goalkeeper Erce Kardesler will also miss the game due to accumulated yellow cards.

Galatasaray continue to cope with the absence of Icardi, who is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Midfielder Gabriel Sara has joined Icardi on the sidelines, ruled out until next month with a hamstring issue.


Hatayspor possible starting lineup:
Bekaj; Alici, Calvo, Kilama, Corecki; Parmak; Diack, Pedro, Boutobba, Fernandes; Aboubakar

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Demirbay; Akgun, Mertens, Yilmaz; Osimhen


SM words green background

We say: Hatayspor 1-3 Galatasaray

Hatayspor's home record suggests they might pose a challenge, but Galatasaray's flawless away form and superior firepower make them favorites.

We expect a tightly contested game, with Cimbom edging it, fueled by firepower and determination to maintain their title defense.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.




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Written by
Joshua Cole

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Game History

How you voted: Hatayspor vs Galatasaray

Hatayspor
Draw
Galatasaray
Hatayspor
9.4%
Draw
3.8%
Galatasaray
86.8%
53
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1GalatasarayGalatasaray19163052223051
2Fenerbahce19143249183145
3Samsunspor19114432181437
4Goztepe SKGoztepe SK19104538231534
5EyupsporEyupspor1996432191333
6BesiktasBesiktas198742820831
7Istanbul BasaksehirIstanbul198563125629
8GaziantepGaziantep197572526-126
9TrabzonsporTrabzonspor1967634241025
10Caykur RizesporCaykur Rizespor197391929-1024
11AlanyasporAlanyaspor195771924-522
12KasimpasaKasimpasa1941052733-622
13KonyasporKonyaspor195682431-721
14AntalyasporAntalyaspor1963102138-1721
15SivassporSivasspor195592132-1120
16Bodrumspor1944111425-1116
17KayserisporKayserispor183781734-1716
18Hatayspor1917111732-1510
19Adana Demirspor1922151542-275


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