Denizlispor Roosters host Black Eagles in ‘prey-predator’ clash

A predator-prey clash? Maybe. The tiny Roosters are no match for the mighty Eagles in real life, so 17th-placed host Denizlispor (4-5-15) -- the team with the worst attacking and worst defensive record in the league -- is not expected to be a match for Beşiktaş when the two teams set foot into the Denizlispor Atatürk Stadium.

It’s tight at the top of the Turkcell Super League with four teams -- Bursaspor, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş -- vying for this season’s championship.

That indeed gives added importance to the Denizlispor-Beşiktaş match because the title-chasing Eagles, with 48 points from 24 outings after beating İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor on Wednesday, can ill-afford to slip up.

Roosters still alive, mathematically?

Coach Hakan Kutlu’s Roosters may be down, but not yet out -- mathematically. Though chained to the league abyss, the Roosters still have a chance of surviving the drop, if they start winning.

“Beşiktaş is a strong team, and this everybody knows,” Kutlu said. “But we will be playing on our home turf on Sunday [today] and are in dire need of the maximum points. So we need the maximum points, nothing else. We have not lost in the last four matches. Hopefully it continues that way,” he further stated.

A drowning man will clutch at a straw, so the “doomed” Roosters, in their desperate bid for survival, are likely to put up a good fight against the fancied Eagles.

That perhaps could make the job of coach Mustafa Denizli and his Black Eagles more difficult than expected.

Beşiktaş fit as a fiddle

The good news, though, is that the walking wounded on the Beşiktaş team are standing upright again.

Almost the whole Beşiktaş squad reported for training on Friday. Teenage Turkey left back İsmail Köybaşı, injured during training, and veteran Brazilian-Turkish striker Mert Nobre, who was also nursing an injury, reported for Friday’s practice sessions.

Defender İbrahim Toraman, on-form Chile leftie Rodrigo Tello and Slovakia striker Filip Holosko -- who were slightly injured in Wednesday’s make-up match against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, which they won 2-0 -- have also fully recovered.

Prolific German midfielder Fabian Ernst, who missed Wednesday’s match due to injury, was conspicuously present during Friday’s training and the club doctors say he is as fit as a fiddle.

“As in every match, we will be going for victory,” Denizli said. “There are no easy matches anymore in the league, and we know that very well. And we also know we have to give our all in order to prevail,” he added.

Denizli’s room for maneuver is therefore unlimited given that the Eagles have no major injury or suspension worries and because the coach has many skilled and fit players to choose from. Good defense will be of utmost importance for the Eagles today because underdog Denizlispor’s best chance of an “upset” would be to take the game to Beşiktaş.

Toraman is fit to play today and will join captain İbrahim Üzülmez and Italian Matteo Ferrari at the back; they will be supported from the center by Ernst, Tello and Co.

If the Eagles can “eat” the Roosters for dinner this evening, it will herald a revival in their fortunes as they strive to repeat last season’s feat, when they came from behind to clinch the league championship.

Kickoff is at 8 p.m., and the referee will be Abdullah Yılmaz.

Live on LİG TV / 20:00 Denizlispor vs. Beşiktaş