Preview: Fenerbahce vs Besiktas - prediction, team news, lineups

The eyes of Istanbul and the wider footballing world will turn to the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium this Sunday, as second-placed Fenerbahce and fourth-placed Besiktas clash in a huge derby that could shape the Turkish Super Lig title race.

The tension surrounding the fixture is heightened further by Saturday’s heavyweight encounter between Trabzonspor – who sit third and level on points with the hosts – and league leaders Galatasaray, who currently hold a four-point advantage over both sides.

Match preview

The outcome of Saturday’s meeting between Trabzonspor and Galatasaray could heavily influence the intensity of Sunday’s derby – should the league leaders drop points, the door will swing open for Fenerbahce to close the gap at the summit.

However, if Trabzonspor emerge victorious, the Yellow Canaries will step onto the pitch under enormous pressure to keep pace in what is becoming an increasingly claustrophobic title race.

Regardless of that result, Domenico Tedesco’s side will look to draw strength from their near-flawless home record this season, having recorded nine wins and four draws in the league, with their confidence further boosted by an emphatic 4-1 victory over Gaziantep in their last outing before the international break, where Dorgeles Nene struck a hat-trick and N'Golo Kante added another.

That dominant performance represented a swift response to the disappointing 2-0 defeat to bottom-placed Fatih Karagumruk, which was their first league loss of the season, a setback that once again highlighted a recurring issue for the Kadikoy club, who have occasionally struggled to deliver when the pressure has been at its greatest.

The burden of pursuing a first league title since the 2013-14 campaign has weighed heavily on Fenerbahce in recent years, and those psychological hurdles will be tested again against a Besiktas side that have enjoyed recent success in this fixture.

The Yellow Canaries have lost the last two meetings at Sukru Saracoglu – a 1-0 league defeat and a 2-1 loss in the Turkish Cup – and three of the last four encounters between them.

However, having secured a thrilling 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Fenerbahce will believe they can complete the league double over their rivals, something they last achieved during the 2023-24 campaign.

Besiktas, meanwhile, arrive as one of the division’s most in-form sides, with only Trabzonspor collecting more points than their 12 across the last five Super Lig rounds.

Currently fourth with 52 points, the Black Eagles sit eight points behind Fenerbahce but remain comfortably placed in the top four, holding a nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.

While Sunday’s result may not directly determine whether Besiktas enter the title race or risk slipping out of the European places, they will relish the opportunity to influence the championship battle while strengthening their own position ahead of the chasing pack.

That said, the league’s top two sides have proved troublesome opponents for under Sergen Yalcin's men this season, with their only defeats across all competitions since November coming against Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, both in league matches, with the latter arriving last month.

Since that defeat to the league leaders, the Black Eagles have responded well, recording back-to-back victories with a 2-0 success over Genclerbirligi followed by a 2-1 win against Kasimpasa just before the break.

Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:

Fenerbahce form (all competitions):

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Team News

Fenerbahce will be without defenders Caglar Soyuncu and Nelson Semedo, who are both sidelined through injury, while former West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez is also unavailable due to an ankle problem.

However, the hosts have been boosted by the return of highly-rated defender Milan Skriniar, who has resumed training with the squad following his recovery from injury.

They will also have the attacking option of Anderson Talisca, who made his comeback from injury with a substitute appearance of just over half an hour in the victory against Gaziantep.

Besiktas also have injury concerns of their own, with defender Emirhan Topcu still sidelined with a thigh problem, while forward El Bilal Toure remains unavailable for the derby.

Meanwhile, Necip Uysal is carrying a minor knock and will require a late fitness test before he can be considered, while Devrim Sahin is also ruled out.

Orkun Kokcu, who has scored the most league goals among current Besiktas players this season with six, will look to maintain his momentum after finding the net in each of the club’s last two Super Lig matches.

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Demir, Oosterwolde, Mercan; Musaba, Kante, Guendouzi, Brown; Asensio; Talisca, Nene

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanolglu; Murillo, Uduokhai, Agbadou, Yilmaz; Ndidi; Cerny, Kokcu, Asllani, Olaitan; Oh

We say: Fenerbahce 2-2 Besiktas

While Fenerbahce’s home record is formidable, the sheer desperation of the title race and the tactical acumen of Yalcin suggest a tightly contested affair.

Besiktas has the offensive tools to exploit any defensive lapses, and with the added weight of Saturday’s results hanging over the stadium, nerves may play a role, which is why we expect a high-intensity draw.

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