Turkish Super Lig set to return after int'l break

Hes Kablo Kayserispor to face Goztepe, Galatasaray to visit Atakas Hatayspor on Saturday

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s top-tier football division Super Lig will continue with Saturday's matches after a 12-day-long international break.

The opening match of the week 32 will be played between Hes Kablo Kayserispor and Goztepe on Saturday. The game will start at 1.30 p.m. local time (1030GMT).

On Saturday Galatasaray will visit Atakas Hatayspor.

Galatasaray’s two center backs Christian Luyindama from Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazilian national Marcao, and US right back DeAndre Yedlin are suspended for this match.

According to football data website Transfermarkt, Turkish midfielders of Galatasaray Taylan Antalyali and Emre Kilinc tested positive for the coronavirus. So these two will also miss the match against Hatayspor.

Meanwhile, Hatayspor's Gabonese striker Aaron Boupendza also contracted the virus and will not be able to play the match.

Boupendza is the club's major goal threat, scoring 18 goals in 26 league matches this season.

Second-place Galatasaray have 61 points in standings, three points behind leaders Besiktas.

Besiktas have one match remaining as well.

Promoted to the Super Lig this season, Hatayspor are in the seventh spot with 46 points.

The match between Hatayspor and Galatasaray will kick off at 7 p.m. local time (1600GMT).

- Leaders Besiktas to meet Kasimpasa

Besiktas, who are now on top of the Super Lig, will play against Kasimpasa in an away match on Sunday.

The Black Eagles' Algerian winger Rachid Ghezzal was suspended for this match.

In addition, Besiktas' Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar may miss Kasimpasa match due to thigh muscle strain.

Aboubakar, one of the integral parts of the team, netted 15 league goals for Besiktas this season.

Kasimpasa's Bosnian regular Armin Hodzic had an unknown injury. The 26-year-old forward has not played since late February.

The match at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium will begin at 7 p.m. local time(1600GMT).

- Fenerbahce to host last-place Denizlispor

Title contenders Fenerbahce will play a home match against Yukatel Denizlispor.

Denizlispor are in the last position with 25 points.

It is a must win-game for the Yellow Canaries so that they would remain in the Super Lig title race.

Third-place Fenerbahce have racked up 59 points to chase archrivals Galatasaray in the league table.

Emre Belozoglu, who became the club's sportive director last year, will manage the senior team as a caretaker manager as Erol Bulut was sacked last week for the team's poor form.

Transfermarkt said that Fenerbahce midfielder Irfan Can Kahveci and defender Nazim Sangare tested positive for coronavirus.

The Istanbul team's German star Mesut Ozil is still troubled by ruptured ankle ligament injury.

Fenerbahce will host Denizlispor at Ulker Stadium on Monday as the match will begin at 7 p.m. local time (1600GMT).

- Super Lig fixtures:

Saturday:

Hes Kablo Kayserispor - Goztepe

Caykur Rizespor - Fatih Karagumruk

Demir Grup Sivasspor - Trabzonspor

Atakas Hatayspor - Galatasaray

Sunday:

Buyuksehir Belediye Erzurumspor - Ittifak Holding Konyaspor

MKE Ankaragucu - Fraport TAV Antalyaspor