Atilla Karaoğlan will referee the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby in the 9th week of the Süper Lig. The Turkish Football Federation's Central Referee Board officially appointed the experienced official for the key match at RAMS Park on Monday, 26 October at 21:30. This clash will see league leaders Galatasaray, who sit first with 19 points, host third-placed Fenerbahçe.
This will be Karaoğlan's third time taking charge of a derby between the two Istanbul giants. In the 23 Galatasaray matches he has officiated so far, the Lions have recorded 16 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses. He has shown Galatasaray players 69 yellow cards and 1 red card, and awarded them 7 penalties.
Fenerbahçe Statistics
Under Karaoğlan's supervision, Fenerbahçe have fared even better, winning 20 of their 24 matches. The Yellow Canaries suffered only 2 defeats and 2 draws in those games. The referee has shown Fenerbahçe 60 yellow cards and 1 red, and given them 11 penalties. Ceyhun Sesigüzel and Süleyman Özay will serve as his assistant referees.
League leaders Galatasaray head into the derby on the back of a morale-boosting victory. Having beaten Lille 4-2 yesterday, the Lions sit top of the Süper Lig with 19 points from eight games, a record of six wins, one draw and one loss. The team's form reads three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five matches, holding a 2-point lead over their upcoming rivals in the standings. Protecting this position makes the upcoming derby a key fixture.
With Victor Osimhen leading the scoring charts with 6 goals, Galatasaray have netted 17 times while conceding 11 this season. Yunus Akgün, who scored twice against Lille, along with scorers Aleksey Batrakov and Osimhen, are in good touch. The team's last five official results are the 4-2 win over Lille, a 1-0 victory against Gençlerbirliği S.K., a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona, a 3-1 win over Kasımpaşa, and a 3-3 draw with Pendikspor. As the team continues its preparations, fans are gearing up for a key night at RAMS Park. Galatasaray's next official fixture is this derby on 26 October.
More detail at Hürriyet Spor
