Preview: Galatasaray vs Istanbul Basaksehir - prediction, team news, lineups

After a hard-fought Champions League victory on Tuesday, Galatasaray will switch their attention back to the Turkish Super Lig when they host Istanbul Basaksehir at Rams Park on Saturday, aiming to maintain their lead at the top of the table.

Okan Buruk’s side secured a 1-0 first-leg win over Liverpool in the round of 16, while they currently sit four points clear of second-placed Fenerbahce in the league standings.

Match preview

Mario Lemina proved to be the unlikely hero on Tuesday evening, scoring the decisive goal just seven minutes into Galatasaray’s Champions League clash with Liverpool.

The midfielder headed home from close range after Victor Osimhen climbed highest to nod a corner back across goal, sealing a valuable 1-0 advantage at a raucous Rams Park.

That result gives the Lions a narrow but crucial lead ahead of the return leg at Anfield on March 18, but perhaps more importantly it confirmed that Buruk’s side are peaking at the right time, as the victory marked their fourth consecutive win across all competitions.

Just days before that European triumph, Galatasaray strengthened their position at the summit of the Super Lig with an impressive victory in the Istanbul derby against Besiktas, as Osimhen’s powerful 39th-minute header proved decisive in a hard-fought 1-0 win at Tupras Stadium.

That success moved the league leaders to 61 points with nine matches remaining, and they now face another Istanbul rival in Basaksehir, albeit this time on home soil.

Interestingly, both sides are the two most in-form teams in the division in recent weeks – over the last 10 league matches, they have collected the joint-highest points total in the league with 25 each, while they also share the best record over the last five games with 12 points apiece.

Despite Basaksehir’s encouraging form, history strongly favours the hosts in this fixture, with Galatasaray unbeaten in their last eight meetings across all competitions, winning seven and drawing one, while they have already defeated the visitors twice this season, in the league and the Turkish Cup.

Basaksehir’s last victory in this fixture came in a cup tie in 2023, while their most recent league triumph against Galatasaray dates back to 2019 — although that win did come at Rams Park.

The Grey Owls can still travel with some confidence given their current momentum – however, it is notable that the only three defeats they have suffered across all competitions since December have all come in high-profile matches — against Galatasaray and Trabzonspor in the cup, and Besiktas in the league.

Nuri Sahin’s men now face another stern test as they attempt to close the four-point gap to fourth-placed Besiktas, who currently occupy the final European qualification spot.

Basaksehir head into this encounter following a 2-1 victory over Goztepe in their most recent league outing, displaying an impressive clinical edge against one of the league’s most organised defences, with goals from Omer Ali Sahiner in the 13th minute and Ivan Brnic in the 69th securing the win either side of the visitors’ equaliser.

Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:

Galatasaray form (all competitions):

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Team News

Galatasaray will remain without Metehan Baltaci, who is currently serving a suspension related to an ongoing legal investigation.

Defender Abdulkerim Bardakci is also unavailable after receiving a suspension for yellow card accumulation during the recent derby victory over Besiktas.

Young defender Arda Unyay continues to recover from a muscle injury, while Leroy Sane will miss this match through suspension following the red card he received against Besiktas.

Osimhen will once again be the key attacking threat for the hosts, with the Nigerian striker directly involved in 12 goals in his last eight appearances for Galatasaray, scoring five and providing seven assists, and he will be aiming to score in three consecutive league matches.

Basaksehir, meanwhile, will be without the services of Amine Harit, who remains sidelined with an injury and is not expected to return until late March.

The visitors will also have to cope without Kazimcan Karatas, who is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards.

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:

Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Kahraman, Jakobs; Torreira, Lemina; Yilmaz, Sara, Lang; Osimhen

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Opoku, Operi; Kemen, Gunes; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Sari; Selke

We say: Galatasaray 2-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

Galatasaray’s confidence will be sky-high following their Champions League victory over Liverpool, and their recent derby success against Besiktas further highlights their strong form heading into this clash.

While Basaksehir have been one of the league’s most in-form sides in recent weeks, their struggles in major fixtures remain a concern, and with the hosts boasting momentum, home advantage and a dominant record in this fixture, they should have enough quality to edge another important victory.

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