Hatayspor vs Fenerbahce
Super Lig runners-up Fenerbahce head to the Mersin Stadyumu to take on an already-relegated Hatayspor in the penultimate 2024/25 round.
Despite a 5-0 thrashing of dead-last Adana Demirspor in the previous round, Hatayspor will feature in the second tier next term after only amassing 23 points this season (W5, D8, L21). That win spanned their dreadful seven-game winless league streak (D1, L6), yet they’ve not won back-to-back Super Lig matches all season. Bucking that trend against Fenerbahce could prove a ‘mission impossible,’ not least because Murat Sahin’s men have lost the last nine H2Hs, including a 2-1 defeat in January’s reverse fixture. Furthermore, they’ve lost three consecutive home league outings in the build-up to this meeting, conceding 3+ goals in the last two. Another defeat is most definitely on the cards, considering they’ve lost all four top-flight H2Hs on home turf, capitulating at least twice on each occasion.
On the other hand, Fenerbahce can no longer win the title, even though they’ve won their last two league games to take their points tally for the season to 81! Indeed, Jose Mourinho’s charges trail champions Galatasaray by 11 points, largely thanks to their inconsistent form at home. However, they’ve been outstanding on the road, picking up a league-second-high 40 away points (W12, D4, L1) while winning their last four such fixtures via an aggregate score of 14-5. Delivering action from the get-go, the Yellow Canaries have netted the opening goal in 71% of their Super Lig away matches this season (12/17), highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start.