The Turkish Cup semifinals are set to begin with Sivasspor and Fenerbahçe locking horns for the sixth time in the competition on Wednesday at the Sivas 4 Eylül Stadium.
Fenerbahçe will be looking to hit the ground running by getting the best of their opponents again, having beaten them 1-0 in Kadıköy and 3-1 in Sivas already.
Although Galatasaray presently occupies the top spot in the Süper Lig and exhibits outstanding form, particularly following the World Cup break, the Yellow Canaries persist in the championship race and concurrently divulge their ace in the cup, facing the Braves in consecutive fixtures.
The Turkish Football Federation will announce the second match schedule of the semifinals in the coming days.
Sivasspor and Fenerbahçe have faced each other five times in the Ziraat Turkish Cup.
The visitors have won three times, while the remaining two ended in a draw.
These two teams last met in the Turkish Cup's semifinals during the 2008-2009 season, and Fenerbahçe emerged victorious.
It is worth noting that Fenerbahçe and Sivasspor have previously faced each other in the group stage of the Turkish Cup on two occasions.
The Yellow Canaries secured victories in two matches, while the remaining encounter resulted in a draw.
Furthermore, in their overall head-to-head record, Fenerbahçe scored nine goals against Sivasspor, conceding just a single goal.
Fenerbahçe started this season's Turkish Cup in the fifth round and won against Istanbulspor 3-1.
They then overpowered Rizespor 2-1 in the last 16 rounds and Kayserispor 4-1 in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, last season's cup champions, Sivasspor, won against Erokspor 5-2 in the fifth round and Karacabey Belediyespor 3-0 in the final 16 round.
They proceeded to face Gaziantep FK in the quarterfinals and were deemed to have won the semifinals by forfeit 3-0 after their opponents withdrew from the league due to the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes.
However, Fenerbahce will not be able to benefit from three players in the upcoming match against Sivasspor.
Irfan Can Kahveci, who was sent off in the team's last league match against Sivasspor, alongside their captain Altay Bayındır, who underwent surgery for a herniated disc and the sidelined Lincoln Henrique, who is currently recovering from an injury will be unable to compete in the tournament.
The fate of Atilla Szalai, who was declared injured following the Istanbulspor match, and Valencia, who was rushed to the hospital by ambulance during the Sivasspor match but cleared for play, remains uncertain.
Michy Batshuayi, Joshua King, and Miha Zajc, who have recovered from their injuries and commenced training with the team, will have the opportunity to participate in this match, provided they receive the nod from Jorge Jesus.
