Spor Toto Super League will brace for a breathtaking Sunday as leader Medipol Başakşehir travels to Türk Telekom Stadium to face second-placed Galatasaray.
The match will be a key battle given how close the Super League title race is this season. Along with the fans of the top two sides, the other two title candidates, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, will also keep their eyes on the match.
Statistics show that Medipol Başakşehir has a clear dominance over the three Istanbul giants, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, considering the outcomes of the last 17 matches played since 2016. The Istanbul minnow has lost just two of these matches. In comparison, coach Abdullah Avcı's side has won nine and drew in six occasions.
The Orange and Blues also hold a clear dominance in terms of the goals scored. They have hit the Istanbul giants' nets 34 times while conceding only 21.
Medipol Başakşehir has not lost a single of the five matches it played against Galatasaray since 2016. It won four and drew one, scoring 16 goals and conceding six in the process.
The only Istanbul team to beat Başakşehir during this period was Fenerbahçe, who beat it twice since 2016. Başakşehir lost 2-0 in a Super League match last year at Ülker Stadium and then 2-0 again this season at its home turf Fatih Terim Stadium. In contrast, Avcı's men won three matches against Fenerbahçe and drew the other two.
Başakşehir has not lost once in two seasons against current champion, Beşiktaş. It won two of the last five matches against the Black Eagles and drew three.
However, this week Galatasaray would want to reverse these statistics, considering it lost 1-0 to Gençlerbirliği last week, letting Başakşehir go top.
Ahead of game week 29, Medipol Başakşehir has 59 points and Galatasaray has 57. Third-placed Beşiktaş has 56 and Fenerbahçe in fourth has 54, and both teams will be praying for Başakşehir and Galatasaray to drop points.
In the match, Başakşehir's ace will no doubt be Edin Visca. The Bosnian star has surpassed names like Lionel Messi and Neymar with a total of 14 assists this season. The 28-year-old midfielder has also scored five goals in 28 matches.