Football: Derby excitement in Turkey Super League
Two rivals Besiktas and Fenerbahce meet in matchday 30 of Turkish Spor Toto Super League.
ANKARA
Matchday 30 of Turkish Spor Toto Super League starts on Friday.
In the opening match of the week, Trabzonspor, who are currently fourth place in the standings will be hosted by Kayseri Erciyesspor on Friday. The match at Kadir Has Stadium kicks off at 20:00.
In Trabzonspor there are many injured players, Ivorian centre-back Sol Bamba, Turkish attacking midfielder Ozer Hurmaci and French winger Florent Malouda are unable to play in this match. Additionally, Trabzonspor's 25-year-old Turkish defender Aykut Demir is suspended for the match.
Galatasaray, whose performance this season has been poor, will meet Kasimpasa in their home ground Turk Telekom Arena on Saturday. The game will kick off at 19:00.
Galatasaray aka "the Yellow-Reds" may lack their Ivorian star Didier Drogba due to a groin injury as well as injured Cameroonian centre-back Aurelien Chedjou. Galatasaray's Turkish goal poacher Burak Yilmaz is suspended for this match.
Current league leaders Fenerbahce, who are close to clinching their 19th league title, will meet their rivals Besiktas in an away match on Sunday. The derby game at Besiktas' home ground Ataturk Olympic Stadium kicks off at 19:00.
Home team Besiktas may lack several regulars owing to injury problems - their two centre-backs - Czech international Tomas Sivok and Julien Escude from France, Portuguese central midfielder Manuel Fernandes, Slovakian wing forward Filip Holosko and Turkish-Australian centre-back Ersan Gulum may not be able to play due to injury.
Fenerbahce will be on the pitch as a full team apart from two regulars -Turkish centre-back Egemen Korkmaz and Cameroonian central forward Pierre Webo who both are suffering from major injuries. If Fenerbahce win the match against Besiktas, they will announce their 19th league title with four games to spare.
Fixture of the matchday 30 in Turkish Spor Toto Super League is as follows:
April 18
Kayseri Erciyesspor vs Trabzonspor at 20:00
April 19
Gaziantepspor vs Genclerbirligi at 13:30
Akhisar Belediyespor vs Kayserispor at 16:00
Bursaspor vs Elazigspor at 19:00
Galatasaray vs Kasimpasa at 19:00
April 20
Caykur Rizespor vs Torku Konyaspor at 13:30
Besiktas vs Fenerbahce at 19:00
April 21
MP Antalyaspor vs Sivasspor at 20:00
Kardemir Karabukspor vs Eskisehirspor at 20:00
Before matchday 30 standings are as follows:
| Teams | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |
| 1. | Fenerbahce | 29 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 29 | 37 | 66 |
| 2. | Besiktas | 29 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 48 | 27 | 21 | 54 |
| 3. | Galatasaray | 29 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 49 | 24 | 25 | 53 |
| 4. | Trabzonspor | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 43 |
| 5. | Sivasspor | 29 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 43 |
| 6. | Kardemir Karabukspor | 29 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 42 |
| 7. | Kasimpasa | 29 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 45 | 35 | 10 | 41 |
| 8. | Akhisar Belediyespor | 29 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 37 | 42 | -5 | 40 |
| 9. | Eskisehirspor | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 30 | 28 | 2 | 39 |
| 10. | Genclerbirligi | 29 | 11 | 5 | 13 | 33 | 37 | -4 | 38 |
| 11. | Bursaspor | 29 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 33 | 41 | -8 | 38 |
| 12. | Gaziantepspor | 29 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 36 |
| 13. | Torku Konyaspor | 29 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 37 | 39 | -2 | 34 |
| 14. | Caykur Rizespor | 29 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 35 | 39 | -4 | 33 |
| 15. | Elazigspor | 29 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 35 | 55 | -20 | 31 |
| 16. | Kayseri Erciyesspor | 29 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 30 | 42 | -12 | 30 |
| 17. | MP Antalyaspor | 29 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 30 | 38 | -8 | 28 |
| 18. | Kayserispor | 29 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 47 | -24 | 25 |
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