What has been nothing short of an abysmal Super Lig campaign for Galatasaray will continue this weekend, when the reigning champions welcome Fatih Karagumruk to the Nef Stadyumu.
Remarkably, Galatasaray are not yet clear from the threat of relegation, with an unlikely demotion into the second tier still possible for the Lions.
Match preview
© Reuters
Comfortably the worst Galatasaray season in living memory, the Turkish giants have struggled from the off and enter the final few matches of the campaign in danger of going down.
While the points difference between themselves and the bottom three sits at a comfortable nine points for now, any future slip-ups between now and the end of the campaign could prove costly for their Super Lig status.
Results have been shocking for Galatasaray this season, with a surprise defeat to Gaziantep last time out yet another depressing footnote in a torrid campaign.
It now means that the Lions have lost more games than they have won this season, and should they fail to win another game, it will be the lowest number of victories that Galatasaray have achieved in a top-flight campaign since 1981-82.
Granted, the chances of Galatasaray failing to pick up another three points are slim, especially given their wider form in recent weeks.
Just two defeats in their last seven league outings has helped aid Galatasaray's situation somewhat, having lost the previous four matches prior to that.
Improving on a wretched home record will be the Lions' first port of call, as they have won only two of the last eight across all competitions at the Nef Stadyumu.
Hoping to extend that troublesome run will be a Fatih Karagumruk side who are eyeing up a top-half finish come the end of the season.
Sitting pretty in ninth, five points separate Fatih Karagumruk and Saturday's opponents, with a victory likely to take them to within touching distance of the European places.
While a continental berth is unlikely for Fatih Karagumruk this season, the Black-Red will take confidence from their unbeaten record against Galatasaray during their top-flight meetings so far.
Played three, drawn two and won one reads the Black-Red's record against Galatasaray in the Super Lig, with another points-scoring match-up the target for Fatih Karagumruk on Saturday.
- D
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
- L
- W
- W
- D
- L
- W
- W
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
Team News
© Reuters
As torrid as their season has been, Galatasaray cannot have any excuses heading into the final few months, as a close to full squad remains available for manager Domenec Torrent.
The only absentee for this weekend's clash is forward Mbaye Diagne, who is recovering from a hip problem.
It means that striker Bafetimbi Gomis will likely lead the line for the Lions once again, with duo Emre Kilinc and Berkan Kutlu providing creativity from midfield.
As for the visitors, their injury list is a little more troublesome, with three first-team regulars absent for the trip to Istanbul.
Fatih Karagumruk will be without Kerim Frei for Saturday's clash as the midfielder recovers from a niggle, whereas a back injury is keeping Fabio Borini on the sidelines for now.
Elsewhere, defender Rayyan Baniya continues to nurse a muscle problem, and midfielder Burak Bekaroglu is unavailable due to suspension.
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Van Aanholt, Marcao, Nelsson, Kaya; Kutlu, Antalyali; Kilinc, Morutan, Akturkoglu; Gomis
Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:
Viviano; Dursun, Biraschi, Erdem, Balkovec; Biglia, Toure, Bistrovic; Durmaz, Mor, Pesic
We say: Galatasaray 2-1 Fatih Karagumruk
While history may be beckoning for Galatasaray, and not particularly for the right reasons, relegation still remains an entirely unlikely prospect.
Being said, the Lions have struggled to win the games expected of them this season, and they could be in for a difficult afternoon on Saturday.
Top tip
Amos Murphy
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Galatasaray win with a probability of 57.7%. A draw had a probability of 21.2% and a win for Fatih Karagumruk had a probability of 21.06%.
The most likely scoreline for a Galatasaray win was 2-1 with a probability of 9.86%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (8.58%) and 1-0 (8.45%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (9.71%), while for a Fatih Karagumruk win it was 1-2 (5.58%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with an 8.6% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Galatasaray would win this match.
