Galatasaray Istanbul vs Hatayspor Antakya Prediction: The Cimbom In Sight, Handicap Covered!

Galatasaray Istanbul will be looking to extend their seven-match winning streak to eight against underdogs Hatayspor Antakya, who are without a win in their last four matches, when they play host to them at the NEF Stadyumu on the 19th matchday of the Super Lig.

Let's have a look at the latest Turkey Super Lig predictions between Galatasaray Istanbul vs Hatayspor Antakya, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Galatasaray Istanbul

Form: WWWWW

Okan Buruk's team couldn't be happier right now, as their most recent derby match against Fenerbahce was a successful one that saw them secure all three points on the road as the match concluded in a 3:0 triumph to stop the rot of a two match losing streak when playing against them.

Although they only had 37% of the ball in that game, they were still able to come away from the Şükrü Saracoğlu with a victory thanks to their clinical approach in front of goal. Of course, the goals of Sérgio Oliveira, Muhammed Aktürkoğlu, and fresh off the bench Mauro Icardi were also instrumental in making that possible.

With no concerns about their form, which has been impressive thus far as they are currently on a 7-match winning streak collecting maximum points they have rather established themselves as a force to be reckoned with this season, as their previous season wasn't one to be fond of as they lost sight of their goal deep into the season, eventually finishing in thirteenth place with 52 points.

With their performance creating a positive atmosphere around their position in the standings, which sees them atop the summit with 39 points, the point differential has been increased to four and five points now against them and second and third place title chasers Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir, respectively, and they will look forward to maintaining that position for a little longer.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-2-1-1

Muslera; Boey, Bardakci, Nelsson, Dubois; Oliveira, Kutlu; Rashica, Torreira; Akturkoglu; Icardi

Hatayspor Antakya

Form: DDLDW

Güneyin Yıldızı have struggled with inconsistent form this season in the Super Lig, and their failure to be more creative with the ball in their previous match against fellow struggling hopefuls Antalyaspor on the road made matters worse, as the match finished in a goalless stalemate.

That tie alone extended their winless streak to four matches, with three points earned from three draws and one loss, and they are without a win against their opponents entering this clash in their last three away encounters and will undoubtedly have to dig deep into this match if they are to atleast settle for a share of the spoils as Murat Sonmez has not been impressed with their performance in recent weeks.

They are currently 16th with 17 points tied on points with 15th place Antalyaspor and are relegation bound, as they are three points away from escaping the relegation zone in an attempt to avoid the worst-case scenario at the end of the season.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3

Kardesler; Corekci, Vranjes, Yilmaz, Adekugbe; Boudjemaa, Aabid, Ribeiro; Lobjanidze, Yildirim, El Kaabi

Match Facts

• Galatasaray Istanbul are currently on a seven-match winning streak in the Super Lig.
• Hatayspor Antakya has yet to win a game in their last five Super Lig matches.
• In their last four meetings, Galatasaray Istanbul has yet to lose a home game against Hatayspor Antakya.
• The average number of goals scored between Galatasaray Istanbul and Hatayspor Antakya is 3.4.
• When playing at home, Galatasaray Istanbul averages 1.89 goals per game, while Hatayspor Antakya averages 0.89 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

In the last seven meetings, Galatasaray Istanbul has won three times, Hatayspor Antakya has won three times, and there has been one draw with a goal difference of 13-12 in favor of Hatayspor Antakya.

Expert Betting Tips

As underdogs, the pressure will be felt on Murat Sonmez’s shoulders as he attempts to steer his side back to winning ways, which may be a difficult task at this time given they are pitted against the most in-form side in the Super Lig and lack the necessary quality to compete with such a side.

Although Galatasaray Istanbul currently tops the table and appears to be living the dream, they still have work to do in order to solidify their position. Since they lost 4:2 on the road in their previous meeting with Hatayspor Antakya a year ago, it's rather a good time for them to repay the favor tenfold in the interest of exacting retribution.

A comfortable home victory with no surprises could be expected here, taking advantage of the hosts' current goal scoring form. They have been scoring goals for fun recently, and they are averaging 1.89 goals at home, which is a decent number to be precise, and as such we do expect to see three or more goals scored by them in this clash. 

As a result, for the first selection, we'll take the Asian Handicap route of -1.5 in favor of Galatasaray Istanbul, who should have more than enough firepower to find the back of the net twice against a team that concedes an average of 1.89 goals per game when playing away. 

• Handicap 1 -1.5 for 1.86
• Galatasaray Istanbul Total - Over 2.5 for 2.00
• Both Teams To Score (No) for 1.93