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Turkish Football Betting
Besiktas and Fenerbahce are two of the most famous teams in Turkish football and they account for much of Istanbul's supremacy over Turkey's Super Ligi.
The league leaders Fenerbahce host rivals Besiktas on Sunday, who are enduring a run of poor form after three straight matches without a win have it put them in fourth spot in the standings – six points behind Fenerbahce.
The match in in Istanbul's Sukru Saracoglu stadium is not simply a local derby. It is a clash which has significant impact on the league table.
Fenerbahce, led by Brazilian manager Zico, top the table with 27 points, four clear of Manisaspor. Two more points behing them are title holders Galatasaray and Besiktas.
Manisaspor have a difficult away match on Saturday against fifth-spot Kayserispor, while Galatasaray visit struggling newcomers Antalyaspor.
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Fenerbahce have been priced as 1.75 bet favourites by the bookmakers with a draw quoted at 2/1 odds. And Zico's men are confident they will claim a win.
"We will brush aside Besiktas and show our rivals that we are the only team that can win the title," Fenerbahce midfielder Alex declared.
Zico was perhaps less audacious after seeing his side play to a 0-0 draw last week against minnows Sakaryaspor: "We are on the right track. Everybody is on board, and the players are very excited about this derby."
The Besiktas game also kicks off a difficult series for Fenerbahce, who entertain Palermo in the UEFA Cup, visit Trabzonspor and travel to Celta Vigo before their next derby against Galatasaray.
"We are facing the weeks of truth right now. And we do not want to falter in one of these matches," team president Aziz Yildirim said.
Besiktas, for the moment, hope to rescue themselves from a downward spiral. After three matches without a win, pressure is building on manager Jean Tigana.
"With a win we can silence all of our critics. We are being stamped as outsiders. But we will come up with a big surprise," said Tigana, who has got a show of support from Besiktas management in spite of a 1-0 home defeat last week against Sivasspor.
Besiktas supporters are beginning to get agitated and even whistled against Tigana and asked for his removal, with Turkish press speculating that Shakhtar Donetsk manager Mircea Lecescu will replace him over the winter break
"I can still sleep because I know that our situation is not as bad as the media makes it out to be," Tigana asserted. "I understand the football fans. But we are dominating every match we play. We are just missing that last punch in front of the goal. We are leaving goals unscored, and it is beginning to get on the players' nerves. And they are playing more nervous instead of believing in themselves."
Fenerbahce have scored at least four goals in all of their five home wins. But Besiktas have claimed five wins in their last 10 matches away at Fenerbahce.
"Fenerbahce fits us well. They are tough at home, but they always look bad against us. On Sunday we will end our current crisis with a success," Besiktas president Yildirim Demiroren announced. The bookies have listed Fenerbahce at 1.39 odds to win the Turkish football league. Besiktas are priced 7/1 in the outright betting to claim Turkey's SuperLigi title.
