Istanbul braces for a high-stakes matchup this Saturday as Beşiktaş host city rivals Galatasaray in a Süper Lig week 29 blockbuster at Tüpraş Stadium.
With the league-leading Lions roaring into town unbeaten and the Black Eagles desperate to reclaim their home fortress, this Istanbul derby promises fireworks.
Okan Buruk's pride, perched atop the Süper Lig with 71 points, remains the only unbeaten side after 28 matches, a juggernaut that’s plundered 68 goals this season.
On the road, they have been a wrecking ball, racking up 11 wins and two draws in 13 outings, shaking the nets 33 times.
Their season-opening eight-game away win streak was snapped by a 1-1 draw at Hatayspor, and Kasımpaşa later clawed out a wild 3-3 tie.
But the Lions have feasted on foes like Adana Demirspor and Kayserispor, each humbled 5-1.
Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian hitman on loan from Napoli, leads the charge with 20 league goals, including eight in his last five matches.
Wing wizards Yunus Akgün and Barış Alper Yılmaz have chipped in 22 goals across all competitions, while new signings Alvaro Morata and Ahmed Kutucu add fresh venom to the attack.
Beşiktaş, meanwhile, have turned Tüpraş Stadium into a rollercoaster of emotions.
With 44 points and a fourth-place perch, the Black Eagles have soared and stumbled in equal measure at home, posting an 8-2-3 record.
A blistering four-game win streak to open the season – dispatching Antalyaspor, Sivasspor, Eyüpspor and Konyaspor – had fans dreaming of glory.
Then came the crash: a 3-1 loss to Kasımpaşa, followed by a stunning collapse against Göztepe, where a 2-0 lead evaporated into a 4-2 defeat.
That debacle marked the end for coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst in league play at Dolmabahçe.
The inconsistency has persisted.
A gritty 1-0 derby win over Fenerbahçe offered hope but draws with Alanyaspor and Samsunspor, plus a 2-1 loss to Gaziantep FK, exposed frailties.
Beşiktaş have conceded 15 of their 26 goals at home – Göztepe’s four-goal barrage the worst of it.
Offensively, Ciro Immobile has shouldered the load with seven of the team’s 22 home strikes, though the Italian’s gone quiet, netting just once in his last eight league games.
Rafa Silva (four goals), Semih Kılıçsoy, and Ernest Muçi (two each) offer support, but the Eagles need more bite.
Tüpraş Stadium has been a house of horrors for Galatasaray since its 2016 renovation.
In eight clashes, Beşiktaş hold a 6-1-1 edge, outscoring the Lions 14-5.
The Black Eagles blanked their rivals in four of those games, starting with a 3-0 rout in 2017-18.
Last season’s 1-0 loss – courtesy of an early own goal by Moatasem Al-Musrati – was a rare blemish.
Galatasaray’s lone win came in that campaign, but Beşiktaş has owned this fixture, with late comebacks and clutch strikes defining their dominance.
The buildup hasn’t been without drama.
Beşiktaş President Serdal Adalı unleashed a scathing attack on the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and referee chief Yasin Kol, assigned to officiate the derby.
Adalı demanded a foreign referee, citing the TFF’s precedent of appointing Slovenian Slavko Vincic for Galatasaray’s clash with Fenerbahçe earlier this season.
“They told Turkish referees they can’t handle derbies,” Adalı fumed, accusing the TFF of bowing to a “two-team rivalry” and undermining fairness. He called for the federation’s resignation, vowing to monitor Kol’s every move Saturday. “Our eyes will be on the referee and their bench,” he warned.
