Galatasaray Set to Keep Perfect Record Against Struggling Rizespor
Hey football fans! The reigning Turkish Super Lig champs, Galatasaray, are gearing up to defend their flawless start to the season as they welcome Caykur Rizespor to Rams Park this Saturday.
Okan Buruk’s squad has been on fire, clinching victories in all three of their opening matches and racking up an impressive 10 goals—tops in the league! They’re also one of only three teams yet to let a single goal slip past them.
Galatasaray kicked off the season with a bang, cruising to 3-0 wins over Gaziantep and Fatih Karagumruk before absolutely crushing Kayserispor 4-0 in their latest match. Star signing Victor Osimhen opened his account for the season, new boy Leroy Sane bagged his first goal for the club, and Eren Elmali, stepping up as a makeshift winger, smashed in two goals in the first half to seal a commanding performance.
Having clinched the last three Super Lig titles, with just one loss all last season and a historic 100-point haul in 2023-24, Galatasaray are clearly hungry for more glory. They’re looking unstoppable and ready to push the boundaries even further.
Next up, they face Rizespor at home, where they’ll aim to extend their six-game winning streak against the Black Sea side and keep their incredible 19-match unbeaten run at Rams Park intact. The last time Galatasaray tasted defeat at home in the league was against arch-rivals Fenerbahce, who snuck a 1-0 win on May 19, 2024, during Cimbom’s epic centurion campaign.
Rizespor, on the other hand, are struggling to find their footing. Ilhan Palut’s team had a rough pre-season, failing to win any of their four friendlies, conceding nine goals, and only scoring four. That shaky form carried into the league, with a 3-0 loss at home on the opening weekend and a frustrating 0-0 draw against Alanyaspor. Their last match was postponed after Istanbul Basaksehir got extra rest for their Conference League qualifier, giving Rizespor a two-week breather to reset. But with a history of conceding at least three goals in each of their last four trips to Rams Park, they’ve got a tough challenge ahead.
Both teams are nearly at full strength, giving their managers plenty of options. For Galatasaray, Buruk has a tough call to make: stick with Osimhen as the lone striker or pair him with Mauro Icardi, who came off the bench last time. Rizespor, however, won’t have loanee Halil Dervisoglu available, as league rules prevent him from playing against his parent club, Galatasaray. Instead, they’ll likely rely on Ali Sowe up top, with the Gambian striker still hunting for his team’s first league goal of the season.
Get ready for an exciting clash as Galatasaray look to keep their perfect run going against a Rizespor side desperate to turn things around!
