Fenerbahcevs.Antalyaspor

The Yellow Canaries sit six points behind Galatasaray after 24 matches and will be eager to stay within striking distance, ready to capitalise on any potential slip-up from the league leaders.

Match preview

Fenerbahce missed a golden opportunity to close the gap in the title race after last Monday's goalless draw against fierce rivals Galatasaray in the intercontinental derby, meaning they must now rely on others to take points off their title challengers.

Despite having just 39% possession, the Yellow Canaries were the more threatening side, recording 10 attempts and three shots on target compared to their opponents' four attempts and a single effort on goal.

However, the game was followed by controversy, as Jose Mourinho entered the dressing room to applaud Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, while simultaneously taking a swipe at Turkish officials.

His remarks did not end there, as he claimed the Galatasaray bench had been "jumping like ms," comments that resulted in a four-match ban and a fine of over €40,000 (£33,000) from the Turkish Football Federation.

Away from the off-field drama, Fenerbahce responded in style with a commanding 4-1 victory over Gaziantep in the midweek Turkish Cup tie, extending their unbeaten streak across all competitions to 17 matches.

Confidence will be high heading into Sunday's clash, as Fenerbahce have not lost to Antalyaspor in 10 straight competitive meetings, winning the last five, while they also boast the joint-best home record in the league alongside Galatasaray, collecting 30 points from 11 matches at Sukru Saracoglu.

Antalyaspor have shown resilience in recent weeks, going unbeaten in their last five league matches with three draws and two wins.

The Scorpions secured a 2-1 victory over Kasimpasa in their most recent league outing, and while they were not particularly dominant, clinical finishing and solid defending ensured they took all three points.

However, their momentum was halted in midweek as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Besiktas in the Turkish Cup, bringing an end to a three-match unbeaten run - it was also the first time in four matches that they conceded more than once in a game.

History is not on Antalyaspor's side, as they have failed to win any of their last 11 meetings with Fenerbahce - their last victory in this fixture came at this very ground in 2019, one of just three wins they have ever managed at Sukru Saracoglu.

Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:

W

W

W

W

W

D

Fenerbahce form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

D

D

Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

D

W

D

D

W

Antalyaspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Fenerbahce remain without Diego Carlos due to injury, meaning Yusuf Akcicek could be given a chance in defence.

The hosts are also missing Jayden Oosterwolde and Rodrigo Becao, both ruled out for the season with knee injuries, while Levent Mercan is unavailable.

For Antalyaspor, Jakub Kaluzinski is suspended, while Bahadir Ozturk is sidelined with an injury.

Erdogan Yesilyurt and Emre Uzun have both suffered cruciate ligament tears and will not feature again this season, while Burak Ingenc is also out injured.

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Egribayat; Akcicek, Skriniar, Soyuncu; Aydin, Fred, Tadic, Szymanski, Kostic; En-Neysri, Dzeko

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Piric; Balci, Sari, Kelven, Vural; Dikmen, Petrusenko; Van de Streek, Safari, Larsson; Samudio

We say: Fenerbahce 3-1 Antalyaspor

Written by

Joshua Cole

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