The Canaries are at home to Steaua, the team they beat 1-0 away two weeks ago in their Group H clash at Bucharest. The Lions are away in Bucharest against Dinamo, which they drubbed 4-1 at İstanbul’s Ali Sami Yen Stadium.The Canaries, intoxicated with victory after their 3-1 win over the Galatasaray Lions in their “mother of all derbies” at Kadıkoy the Sunday before last, showed serious signs of slump during the domestic Super League match away at Kayserispor on Sunday in which they were lucky to go home with a 1-1 draw.
Brazilian captain-playmaker Alex De Souza is equal to half the Fener team, at least that’s what the pundits say. And injured Alex was conspicuous by his absence at the Kayseri Kadir Has Stadium on Sunday. Whether Alex will be fit to play against Steaua today will only be known by match time.
But the star-studded Fener team, with the likes of Turkey midfielders Emre Belözoğlu, Gökçek Wederson, defender Diego Lugano and so on, can still take good care of Steaua without Alex. The captain-playmaker’s presence, however, would make things easier for the Canaries.
Steaua has not lost in its three games in Turkey, but the Canaries can take heart because Steaua goes into this evening’s game as one of three teams that haven’t scored since the beginning of the group stage -- along with PFC Levski Sofia and FC Timişoara.
Fenerbahçe will be facing Dutch side Twente away on Matchday 5 on Dec. 2, while Steaua will be locking horns away with Sheriff that same day.
Lions in Bucharest
Everything seems to be coming together nicely for the Galatasaray Lions, at least for the moment, after the “mother of all derbies” debacle against the Canaries.
The Lions made light of the merciless media bashing to win their two domestic matches, beating Bucaspor 2-1 in the Ziraat Turkish Cup last Wednesday and struggling Sivasspor 2-0 in the Super League on Sunday.
But the Lions today must cope with missing injured Czech striker Milan Baroş, who broke his foot in the İstanbul derby against Fenerbahçe. However, there are two pieces of positive news for Galatasaray.
Ivory Coast winger Abdul Kader Keita, serving a three-match suspension for whacking a quick right hook into the face of Fener defender Roberto Carlos during their derby, will be available today. So will Brazil playmaker Elano Blumer, who got a direct red during the cup match against Buca and therefore missed Sunday’s match.
The Lions are a high-scoring side, and they can win today only if Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard can fix that defense, which at times leaks goals like a sieve.
“We have overcome our lethargy,” the Dutchman said after his team’s victory over Sivasspor on Sunday. But whether that also meant mending the porous defense was not very clear.
The Lions will be at home to Panathinaikos on Matchday 5 on Dec. 3, and Dinamo will be hosting Austria’s Sturm Graz.
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