Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray take on Genclerbirligi on Friday evening, with the home side looking to stretch their lead at the top of the standings to six points. With Igor Tudor’s men having lost just one game all season, it is the Lions who are the firm favourites for victory.
Match Preview
Despite having suffered their first Super Lig defeat of the season last time out, Galatasaray are the firm favourites to recover in style with a win over relegation threatened Genclerbirligi. With the visitors having won just two league matches themselves, Mesut Bakkal’s side will head to Istanbul in hope rather than expectation. Meanwhile, with Galatasaray having scored 21 goals in their ten matches, as well as Genclerbirligi conceding the same amount from their encounters, goals are certainly predicted at the Turk Telecom Stadi on Friday evening.
Galatasaray Team News & Form
Despite a late Garry Rodrigues goal, Galatasaray were unable to prevent a defeat against Trabzonspor over the weekend, with Igor Tudor’s men hampered by two red cards in the match. Both Sofiane Feghouli and Badou Ndiaye will miss their upcoming encounter due to their dismissals, with the likes of Yasin Oztekin and Eren Derdiyok battling to fill their spots in the starting eleven. Galatasaray have on-loan Manchester City defender Jason Denayer to call upon, while former Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has nine goals already in the Super Lig this season. Elsewhere, midfielder Tolga Ciğerci has been in fine form for the Turkish giants also, scoring six goals in the league himself. Galatasaray also have the best defensive record in the division, with just eight goals scored against Tudor’s side so far.
Genclerbirligi Team News & Form
Genclerbirligi come into this match off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Yeni Malatyaspor, with manager Bakkal under pressure to start delivering for the relegation threatened side. Having scored just 12 goals in the league all season, it comes as little surprise that striker Petar Škuletić is their leading scorer, with two successful strikes. The rest of the Genclerbirligi squad is dominated by home grown players, with the likes of Ahmet Ilhan Özek and Ahmet Oğuz among their most talented individuals. Genclerbirligi defeated Besiktas a matter of weeks ago, demonstrating that they have what it takes to upset some of Turkey’s best on their day. However, a trip to Istanbul to take on the league leaders is a different kettle of fish.
Head to Head
The two teams have met on 31 occasions in the past, with Galatasaray having won 18 of such meetings, losing just six. The last meeting between the duo came in Istanbul back in March, when Galatasaray narrowly came out on top with a 3-2 victory.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their position at the top of the table, it comes as little surprise that it is Galatasaray who are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. They can be backed at odds of 1/4 with Skybet, while the same bookmakers offer the visitors odds of 9/1 to claim all three points.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Galatasaray to keep a clean sheet, which is available at odds of 8/13 at Ladbrokes.