Super Derby Day in Turkey : Galatasaray vs Besiktas !

It's very huge weekend for Galatasaray and Besiktas .....Last years defending Champions Galatasaray will host Besiktas who is one step ahead of them on Saturday night in their noisey home at Turk Telekom Arena !

It is very huge next few days for Galatasaray ....

After Besiktas match they will host Chelsea team, in their nest , next week.

While Besiktas focuses only to the league Galatasaray has to think and prepare for Champions League and Turkish Cup too along with  chasing the league's top team Fenerbahce !

That's is why this match is very important .....

It is important for Mancini's Galatasaray and Bilic's Besiktas !

A win for Besiktas will be huge on Saturday ...

That would put them 2 points behind Fenerbahce and Fenerbahce will feel the heat on Monday night in Elazig when they face Elazigspor .

But, it will not be easy !

Besiktas is much young and inexperienced  team....

On the other hand, Galatasaray have Drogba, Sneijder, Muslera and Selcuk Inan .

If, Drogba shows that he is clutch player, Galatasaray could win this match before the big one !

Besiktas's Oguzhan Ozyakup did not practiced with the team until Friday .

It is not for sure he will play on Saturday.....

Almeida and Fernandes and keeper Tolga Zengin will be Besiktas's clutch player if they want to win this match.

Besikta's American soccer player Jermaine Jones did practice with the team and he looked good in the practice sessions, this week.

We might just see, Jermaine Jones  on the pitch ,tomorrow ....

Here is the last thing.....

In the first half, before Galatasaray match Besiktas was 4-0 !

Besiktas lost the match 2-1 in the very seconds of the match  when Besiktas fans invaded the pitch while stoppage time was playing....

The Turkish Football Federation  punished Besiktas four matches without the spectator ban  
and match  stand as forfeit 3-0 in favor of Galatasaray !

After that , Besiktas was in slum for long time !

Now ,at the week 22, the story is little different ....

Besiktas is one step above Galatasaray, but ,this match could change that !

So, I just hope we will not see that kind of absurd behavior again on Saturday ...

The pressure will be on both teams ....

I just hope, we see a good derby match on Saturday.

AHMET TURGUT
@turkishsoccer

Trabzonspor loses 2-0 against Juventus

Trabzonspor’s 14 matches unbeaten in European competitions has ended in Turin, after the Black sea side lost 2-0 against Juventus in the first leg of the Europa League last-32 round, despite a goal being controversially annulled by the referee.

Dani Osvaldo, who joined the Old Lady during the winter break, opened the scoring in the 15th minute, before Paul Pogba bagged a precious second goal in injury time.

Trabzonspor ,however, was upset by a referee decision to cancel a goal in the 71st minute. In what could have been a turning point, Olcan Adın put the ball into the net after a cross from Yusuf Erdoğan. The referee ruled that the ball had crossed the line before Erdoğan’s cross, but TV replays showed that the ball might not have completely crossed the line.

Caretaker coach Hami Mandıralı,  who recently took over from Mustafa Resit Akcay, praised his side’s attitude during the entire game.
 
“We had opportunities to score and we missed, but they scored. We had counter-attacks, particularly in the second half, following the changes, but we were unable to score,” Mandıralı said. 

He also criticized the canceling of Trabzonspor’s goal. “As far as I saw on the TV, the ball did not entirely cross the line. UEFA should review its six-referee system. We have been damaged by a wrong decision,” he said.

Preview: Juventus v Trabzonspor

Juventus and Trabzonspor have never met in competitive action, but go head to head in the first leg of the last 32 with Juve looking to avenge their recent disappointment at the hands of another Turkish team.

Antonio Conte's men were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stages as Super Lig champions Galatasaray progressed instead after a 1-0 winner-takes-all victory against Juve in the final Group B game.

Gala held Juve to a 2-2 draw in Turin earlier in a group stage campaign that saw Conte's side earn just one victory, which came against minnows Copenhagen.

Juve's exit from the Champions League came as a surprise, however the Serie A leaders will now be focused on extending their pedigree in the second-tier competition.

The defending Italian champions have won the tournament on three occasions, although all of those triumphs came when the Europa League was known as the UEFA Cup.

They are, though, sure to face a stern test on Thursday against a side that has yet to lose in the Europa League this season.

Trabzonspor should be accustomed to facing Serie A opposition after twice drawing with Lazio on the way to topping Group J.

However, their domestic campaign has been less fruitful and they head into the clash without a permanent manager after Mustafa Resit Akcay's resignation earlier this month.

A 4-2 defeat to Akhisar  prompted Akcay's decision to step down, with assistant Hami Mandirali taking temporary charge of a side who are ninth and without a Super Lig win in four games.

Forward Emre Gural scored a double on his return to the starting line up in the 2-2 draw at Karabukspor on Saturday, staking his claim for another start.

Juventus are set to be without defender Giorgio Chiellini due to a thigh injury, while striker Mirko Vucinic is unavailable with a knee problem.

Defender Andrea Barzagli is on the mend after a tendon problem, with Conte set to make a late decision on his fitness.

Trabzonspor unbeaten European run will be tested by Juventus tonight. 

Besiktas back in title chase after they beat Kasimpasa in rematch

Besiktas defeated Kasimpasa 3-0 on Tuesday in a rematch of a Turkish  Super League’s 15th week match.

Winning against Kasimpasa put Besiktas in the title chase.....

With 39 points, Besiktas one point Behind Galatasaray and 5 points behind first place team Fenerbahce.

Besiktas finished the job early thanks to goals scored by  Hugo Almeida, 22-year-old Colombian center-back Pedro Franco and Veli Kavlak.

In the previous match, Kasimpasa's  Ryan Donk intercepted the ball off the pitch in the 30th minute, illegally nullifying a Besiktas attack.

The match ended 2-1 in favor of Kasimpasa.

Besiktas' board later appealed to the Turkish Football Federation for a rematch. The Turkish Football Federation decided ordered the match replayed as a result of the violation.

What coaches said.......

Bilic (Besiktas ) : “Winning is a wonderful feeling,” Besiktas's Croatian coach Slaven Bilic said after the match. “We have accomplished a great feat by beating Kasımpaşa and earning three points. Congratulations to our players. They did everything necessary in modern football, put up a good fight and earned three deserved points”

Shota Arveladze (Kasimpasa ) : “It is very difficult to speak after losing 3-0. We conceded a goal from a penalty-box scramble and thereafter things became more difficult. We tried to turn the tide in our favor after the break, but it was not to be"

After 20th weekend going in to 21th weekend, the tittle race will be three ways...

After Fenerbahce losing back to back three away matches, Galatasaray and Besiktas winning their matches, Ersun Yanal's  Fenerbahce let Galatasaray and Besiktas closed the gap on top......

14 weeks to go, the race on top and at the bottom will get hotter,in the Turkish Super League....

For most of the teams, it will be clutch time in the league....

Turkish Super League Wrap :Gap drops to 4 points on top !

Week 20, in the Turkish Super Lig, was a clutch week for some teams in the league !

Teams, who were chasing the top team Fenerbahce,  in the league....

Besiktas  won their match  on Friday in Gaziantep with 2-1 score with a little luck this time..

Besiktas still having problem in the last twenty minutes !

While Besiktas and Galatasaray won in the 20th week, first place Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor lost their matches on Sunday ....

On Saturday, Galatasaray  beat  Eskisehir with a score 3-0 , without their world star player Drogba.

A win for Galatasaray, put pressure on Ersun Yanal's Fenerbahce before the Sivas vs Fenerbahce match in Sivas on Sunday!


With Galatasaray winning on Saturday, the gap on top, reduced to 4 points before Sunday's match..

On Sunday, In Sivas , Sivas stunned Fenerbahce with 2-0 score !

It very important to note that the referee Yunus Yildirim made some huge bad calls for both teams...

He did not call  a hand ball in the penalty box area for Fenerbahce....

On another play, He should have giving red card to Raul Meireles for intentional kicking instead he showed him yellow card !

Fenerbahce played the most of the match with 10 men after defender Egemen Korkmaz was red carded by Yunus Yildirim....

Former Fenerbahce player, now rookie coach at Sivasspor , Roberto Carlos won his first match against his former team as a coach!

Best teams of the first half of the season, Fenerbahce, has been slipping lately,,,,,

This is their back to back third away match losses !

10 points gap between Galatasaray has drop to  four points now......

15 weeks to go , the race will be very tight, between Fenerbahce ,Galatasaray and Besiktas, now !

After  the match, Fenerbahce coach Ersun Yanal said, they will win the championship at the end of the season even the gap narrowed !


On the other hand ,Roberto Mancini's Galatasaray playing at home and abroad....

At home, they are in Turkish Cup along with chasing Fenerbahce on top !

At abroad, in the Champions League they made it to round 16 under Mancini and they will face Chelsea ,soon in Istanbul first then in England in March...

Very busy time starts for Galatasaray.....

Could they handle all of this?

During the winter transfer window they have transferred some young legs....

Players like, Drogba, Sneijder, Muslera and Selcuk Inan will be Galatasaray go to guys  at home and abroad.

Galatasaray scored 15 goals in their last four matches while  keeper Muslera ,shut Galatasaray's goal !


While that is what's happening on top, at the bottom,two Kayseri teams; Kayserispor and Kayseri Erciyes is losing blood !

They are dead last two teams at the bottom....

Rize, Elazig and Antalya could be the third team this season to go down if they don't start winning matches!

There are many games to be played but the heat will be all the teams  starting next weekend ...

Trabzonspor losing at home against Akhisar was huge on Sunday!

On Monday night ,week 20 , will come to end with Genclerbirligi vs Karabuk match....

Sunday 9 February Bursaspor  1-1  Antalyaspor Elazigspor  3-0  Kayserispor Sivasspor  2-0  Fenerbahce Trabzonspor  2-4  Akhisar   Saturday 8 February Galatasaray  3-0  Eskisehirspor Erciyesspor  1-1  Rizespor   Friday 7 February Gaziantepspor  1-2  Besiktas Kasimpasa  1-3  Konyaspor

Jermaine Jones sign with Besiktas

Jermaine Jone with Besiktas top (Photo credit : Fanatik.com.tr )

U S A National team player and one of  Klinsmann's  go to guys in the national team Jermaine Jones arrived in Istanbul late last night and today pass the medical test!


He will play for Besiktas , in the second half of the season in Turkish Super Lig...

The hard tackling midfield player will be leader in the midfield for Besiktas..

He just has to play his ball and not to talk to referee so much...

He could be loved by Besiktas season in the rest of the season

Jermaine Jone 32 years old but very aggressive and rugged  soccer player.

He was born in Germany but  decide to play for U.S National team  back in 2009..

He is one of the players  that Klinsmann trust so much....

After his negotiation fell apart with Greek team  , Klinsmann told him find your self a team and play until the World Cup  tournament.

This will be good for , U.S  National team, Jermaine Jones and for Besiktas !

All three parties will benefit from this loan deal ...

This will be huge factor for Besiktas's midfield...

You will see more attacking mode Besiktas from midfield and  Jones will not be scare to take a shots from midfield !

AHMET BOB TURGUT
WWW.TURKISHSOCCER.COM

Fenerbahce started the second half with a win while others slip up !

Fenerbahce extended their lead at the top of the Turkish Super League to 10 points with a 2-1 win over Konyaspor on Monday.

Ersun Yanal's Fenerbahce  came from behind again to claim all three points against relegation threatened Konyaspor, who took the lead after 22 minutes through Angolan striker Djalma.

Fenerbahce fought back and levelled just before half-time thanks to defender Bruno Alves, with centre-back Egemen Korkmaz sealing the victory nine minutes from time.

 Win against Konya, cemented Fenerbahce's position at the summit of the division after second-placed Istanbul rivals Galatasaray could only manage a 0-0 draw at Gaziantepspor on Sunday.

Galatasaray were aiming to win all their matches at home and away and wait for Fenerbahce to drop points. But after Galatasaray was held 0-0 away by Gaziantep in Gaziantep ....

Sivasspor also took advantage of Gala's slip-up with a 3-0 win over bottom club Kayserispor that moves Roberto Carlos' men into third, just two points adrift of Roberto Mancini's team.

French midfielder Aatif Chahechouhe put Sivasspor in command with a second-half double, and defender Ziya Erdal capped things off on 82 minutes shortly after Sereno had been sent off for the visitors.

Kasimpasa fall to fourth as a result of a goalless draw against Karabukspor, while Hugo Almeida's 85th minute effort earned Besiktas a 1-1 draw at Trabzonspor.

At the bottom of the table Elazigspor sealed a third win in four league games with a 2-1 triumph over Akhisar Belediyespor but Kayseri Erciyesspor's hopes of survival remain slim following a 3-1 loss to Antalyaspor.

Elsewhere, Brazilian striker Fernandao scored twice in Bursaspor's 3-1 win over 10-man Eskisehirspor and Genclerbirligi defeated Rizespor by the same scoreline.