Besiktas vying for comfortable lead in title race with derby win

By Muhammed Enes Calli and Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Leaders Besiktas look forward to maintaining their impressive form against their arch-rival Fenerbahce on Sunday's Istanbul derby.

Besiktas made a bad start to the season. They were eliminated by Greek football club PAOK in the UEFA Champions League's second qualifying round and knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Portugal's Rio Ave in the third qualifying round.

But they gained their form in the following weeks and managed to top the Turkish Super Lig standings with 63 points in 28 games.

The Black-Eagles now aim to extend their winning streak to eight league matches and can go eight points clear at the top of the league if they win their games in hand.

Besiktas' Vincent Aboubakar, who had also played at the club in the 2016-2017 season, has 16 goals, while another forward, Cyle Larin, has so far scored 17 goals in all competitions.

Fenerbahce have gone into derby weekend third with 58 points in 29 matches.

After losing 2-1 against underdogs Genclerbirligi at home last week, the Yellow Canaries now look to close the gap with their city rivals.

In the first game of the season, 10-man Besiktas beat Fenerbahce with a 4-3 score to snap their 15-year-jinx in Kadikoy.

The match will begin at 7 p.m. local time (1600GMT) at Vodafone Park and officiated by Halil Umut Meler.

- Fenerbahce slightly better in matches vs. Besiktas

The first derby game between the two sides was played on Nov. 28, 1924, and Fenerbahce claimed a 4-0 victory over Besiktas.

The two Istanbul football clubs met each other in 352 matches, with Fenerbahce having a slight advantage.

Fenerbahce's lead in head-to-head results in competitive games with 133 wins to Besiktas' 126, while the remaining 93 games ended in a draw.

In 129 Super Lig games between them, Fenerbahce won 47 times and Besiktas 41, while the remaining 41 matches ended in a draw.

According to Besiktas' official website, Besiktas forward Hakki Yeten, also known as "Baba Hakki", produced the highest number of goals --30-- while Besiktas's Atom Ant, Riza Calimbay, has the highest number of appearances -- 64-- in the history of the famous fixture between Besiktas and Fenerbahce.

Although there have been some players who have made appearances in both the Istanbul clubs, such as Yusuf Simsek, Tumer Metin, Emre Asik, Mehmet Aurelio, Egemen Korkmaz, Mert Nobre, Senegal's Mamadou Niang, Sergen Yalcin, Caner Erkin, Gokhan Gonul, Alpay Ozalan, Ismail Koybasi, Tolga Arslan and Dutch winger Jeremain Lens, a total of five footballers; Erkin, Gonul, Koybasi, Lens and Arslan, are the only currently active players.

- Yellow Canaries missing three key players

Three key players will not able to make it to the Fenerbahce squad.
German-born Turkish midfielder Mesut Ozil, Turkish right-back Gokhan Gonul and Argentine left winger Diego Perotti will not fight for their team due to their injuries.

Ozil, 32, has a ruptured ankle ligament injury, while Perotti, 32, has been troubled by an Achilles tendon injury.

For Besiktas, right-winger Gokhan Tore is not expected to play in derby due to a calf strain.