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Demoralized Lions seek redemption in Turkish Cup clash with Bucaspor
Galatasaray’s Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard is very likely to rest the lethargic and match-weary players who were fielded in the match against Fenerbahçe on Sunday. Error-prone first-choice goalkeeper Leo Franco almost certainly will be rested, and his deputy Aykut Erçetin therefore will have a golden opportunity to prove his worth.
Sweeper Mehmet Topal, who was benched on Sunday, will likely play the role of midfield maestro, while midfieder Barış Özbek and winger Aydın Yılmaz, who came in as substitutes during Sunday’s match, may make the starting XI. Captain-playmaker Arda Turan, mired in a mysterious slump, could be rested today ahead of the Super League clash against a resurgent Sivasspor in İstanbul this weekend.
Today’s match against minnow Buca is seen as a boon for the demoralized Lions because, on paper, they are expected to win big. And that result should be able to help them regain their self-confidence and pull them out of their enigmatic quagmire.
Buca fears no evil
Bucaspor, an early pacesetter in the Bank Asya League 1 this season, has collapsed like a house of cards and is currently placed a distant fifth in the standings after going down 3-0 at Kardemir Karabükspor on Sunday.
Nonetheless, the Bucaspor camp is gloating. “They say there is no exit at Ali Sami Yen, and they also say it is difficult to beat Galatasaray at Ali Sami Yen,” Bucaspor press spokesperson Mehmet Bektur told reporters. “But we shall beat Galatasaray at Ali Sami Yen [today] and advance to the next round,” he added.
Bucaspor beating the Lions at Ali Sami Yen may look like mission impossible, but it isn’t. Simply put, the history of the Turkish Cup since its inception in 1962 has been full of upsets at times only suitable for stories in Romantic fiction.
Fenerbahçe’s elimination in the third round of the 1999 cup competition by second division Pendikspor, and second division Erzurumspor ousting Galatasaray from the competition in 2001 are two of the most outstanding upsets in Turkish Cup history.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating! So what’s left to be seen is whether tiny Buca will be able to beat the wounded Lions this evening or whether it itself will be bitten.
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