Looking for a way out of its crisis, Fenerbahce opens this Friday, February 1, the twentieth round of the Turkish Championship in its 2018/2019 season. At the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, will receive the Goztepe, in game that is vague in the table of classification of the Superliga of Turkey. The kickoff is scheduled for 15:30 (Brasilia time).
Owner of one of the most fanatical football fans in the world, a trophy collector and a regular of the first place in the standings, Fenerbahce lives a very different reality in the current season. His battle is to avoid relegation to the Second Division.On Monday, January 28, he took an important step in that direction. Also playing at home, he defeated Yeni Malatayaspor 3-2 in a dramatic game. Fenerbahce were twice ahead in the scoreline, gave up the draw, and only managed to win the goal in the 41st minute of the final stage with Topal. Major success against third place in the tournament with 32 points. The leader is Basaksehir, with 41.He thus achieved a 20-point mark (four wins, eight draws and seven losses) going up to the fourteenth place in the Turkish Superleague standings. He was two points ahead of Rizespor, sixteenth and first in the sticking region.He broke a run of four games without a win (three draws and a loss) in the Turkish Championship and overcame the trauma of elimination in the Cup of Turkey with two defeats 1-0 against Umraniyespor.Eliminated from the Champions League in the first round, the team is about to make its debut in the Europa League. He will face Zenit Petersburg, Russia. The first meeting, to be held in Istanbul, is scheduled for February 12.Therefore, the game of this Friday gains even more importance, as it can allow the team to distance itself a little from the region of the sticking. As principal, Fenerbahce has achieved a slightly higher performance, even though it is far from being compatible with its potential. This is the twelfth best of the Turkish Super League having won 13 (three wins, four draws and two losses) of the 27 points they played with 15 goals scored and 14 conceded.Coach Ersun Yanal again should not be able to count on his starting goalkeeper for the match against Goztepe. Harun Tekin (14 performances in the 2018/2019 edition of the Turkish Championship) follows the care of the medical department. Thus, Volkan Demirel (five performances) should continue in the goal of Fenerbahce. Also in the infirmary are the reserve goalkeeper Erten Ersu (without performances in the current season); and midfielder Kagan Oguz (a game, no goal).
Fenerbahce is in 14th place in the Turkish Super League, with 20 points cumulated in 19 games. He has so far recorded four wins, eight draws and seven defeats. He has a negative goal with 20 goals scored and 27 received. On an equal footing with Fener there is Ankaragucu, the weakest form of the championship. Both teams have a distance of only 2 lengths from Rizespor's first relegable place.
The hosts have a disastrous season, as I do not think they anticipated even the fiercest supporters before the season. Instead of fighting for a Champions League spot or champion title, Fener is struggling to avoid relegation. However, in the last period it has increased in results, being underestimated by 4 stages. The last round brought an important victory with Yeni Malatiaspor, score 3-2.
The fight against relegation is also what remains for Goztepe at the end of the season. However, the club is much more accustomed to this situation. With 22 points (seven wins, one draw and 11 losses), he is ranked 12th in the Turkish Championship standings, but has a recent downward trajectory. In the last five games of the tournament were three defeats, a draw and only one the victory.In the nineteenth round at home, he was beaten by Galatasaray the giant, the Turkish Superleague's deputy leader with 35 points, by 1-0. He has concentrated his efforts on the Turkish Cup, where he eliminated Antalyaspor in the round of 16 with draw by 3 to 3 (away) and win by 3 to 0 (home).As a visitor, it performs disastrously. It is the second worst of the Turkish Championship in this ranking. Of the 30 points that played outside of his stadium, he returned home with only six (two wins and eight losses) conquered. He scored nine goals and suffered fifteen.To face Fenerbahce, coach Bayram Bektas is expected to have two injuries in the defensive sector. They are in the care of the medical department Hakan Cinemre (a game in the 2018/2019 Turkish championship, no goal) and Adama Traoré (eight games, no goal).
Goztepe ranks two positions higher than Fenerbahce on the 12th place. He gathered 22 points in 19 games. A single draw was recorded by the guests in this championship edition, that of Bursaspor, 4 rounds (0-0). Otherwise, Goztepe won 7 of the other 18 games played in the Super League. A success at this stage may lead Goztepe in the first half of the hierarchy, but a defeat could leave it to the limit of relegation at the end of the round.
The visitor's form of play is diminishing. They have succumbed in the last 2 stages of the championship, 2-3 with Malatiaspor and 0-1 with Galata. In the latter game Goztepe missed a penalty by Borges to score 0-0. Between those defeats, the guests were qualified in the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup after the 3-0 victory in the company of Antalyaspor.
3 of Fenerbahce's previous 4 games had less than 3 goals scored.
While giving clear signs of improvement after a dismal first half, Fenerbahce still does not prove to be a reliable team. However, having the opportunity to perform at home, where he presents his best results, against a visitor as inefficient as Goztepe, the prognosis in his victory is the best option for the match that opens on Friday the twentieth round of the Turkish Super League version 2018/2019.