Two Istanbul giants collide on Sunday as bottom-placed Istanbulspor host league leaders Fenerbahce in a Turkish Super Lig derby bursting with contrasting narratives.
The hosts saw their woes compounded after the Turkish Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) imposed a 3-0 forfeit defeat and deducted three crucial points from their tally as punishment for Istanbulspor's president, Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu's behavior, after he made the unprecedented decision to withdraw his team from the pitch against Trabzonspor.
Match preview
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Istanbulspor are having a season to forget on and off the pitch, forced to play this weekend's match at a neutral ground, a consequence of Sarialioglu's behavior against Trabzonspor, with the president himself on the receiving end of a 90-day suspension and a staggering fine of TL 780,000 ($26,900).
Head coach Hakan Yakin inherited a side drowning in the relegation mire two months into the season and has found it difficult to turn the tides, with Istanbulspor now having only five points from 17 games after the three-point deduction, while facing a monumental task to claw their way out of the bottom three.
Last time out, the Bulls conceded an 86th minute goal against Sivasspor to lose 1-0, in what was their third consecutive league defeat excluding the abandoned match against Trabzonspor.
A fixture against the league leaders is not what Istanbulspor will wish for at this time, but Yakin will have to rally his troops to face an opposition that has beaten them 93 times in 126 meetings, with the hosts recording just 15 wins and 18 draws.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce settled for a goalless draw against rivals Galatasaray last time out, maintaining their six-match unbeaten run in the Turkish Super League.
Tied on 44 points with the Lions, the visitors remained at the top of the Super Lig table with a superior goal difference after 17 matches into the league season.
After winning all of their opening 19 matches across all competitions, Fener looked unstoppable, until a stuttering November form brought Gala back into contention.
Ismail Kartal's side won just one of their five matches during the month, losing at home to Trabzonspor and drawing at Adana Demirspor, as well as suffering a 6-1 defeat at Nordsjaelland in the Europa Conference League.
However, December was almost a perfect month for the Yellow Canaries, scoring 15 goals across four straight wins, with the draw against Gala being the only blemish.
Team News
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Eduart Rroca is the home side's only reported absentee, sidelined with a hamstring injury until January.
Yakin is expected to stick with the 4-3-3 formation deployed in the loss to Sivasspor, featuring Jackson, Valon Ethemi, and Alassane Ndao as the front three.
Fenerbahce will be without both Fred and Mert Hakan Yandas due to suspensions earned in the win over Kayserispor.
Fred received a three-match suspension and a hefty fine for verbal abuse towards the referee while Hakan Yandas received a two-match ban and an even larger fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after his red card.
Irfan Can Egribayat also misses out due to accumulated yellow cards, while Alexander Djiku and Bright Osayi-Samuel are unavailable due to international duty, leading to Jayden Oosterwolde and Mert Muldur coming in to complete the back four alongside Samet Akaydin and Ferdi Kadioglu.
Kartal must navigate further injury concerns as Miha Zajc and Luan Peres have muscle and knee issues, respectively, while Lincoln is also doubtful for Sunday's match.
Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:
Arda; Deli, Erdogan, Yesil, Yasar; Loshaj, Vorobjovas, Sarikaya; Ndao, Ethemi, Jackson,
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Muldur, Akaydin, Oosterwolde, Kadioglu; Kahveci, Miguel Crespo, Szymanski; Under, Dzeko, Tadic
We say: Istanbulspor 0-2 Fenerbahce
While Fenerbahce's undeniable firepower and defensive resolve make them clear favorites, Istanbulspor should not be underestimated. Spurred by the derby atmosphere, they might put up a spirited fight.
However, the gap in quality may ultimately prove too much, with Fenerbahce likely to come away with the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
