Football Bet of the Day: Fener fancied in Istanbul derby

An Istanbul derby on a Monday night? Oh go on then. Fenerbahce welcome league leaders and fierce rivals Galatasaray to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium (17:00 GMT), hoping to leapfrog them with a win, with only one point separating the duo. 

Below you can find my Football Bet of the Day as we search for a winner to start the week.

Domenico Tedesco has been tasked with overhauling Gala. Fenerbahce have finished second behind their fierce rivals in the last three seasons, so this derby feels like a seismic moment in Turkey’s title race. A run of five Fener wins on the bounce has seen them cut Cimbom’s nine-point lead to just one, and the home side are also the only unbeaten outfit in the Super Lig this term. 

Nine wins and four draws has put the Yellow-Navy Blues on a steady footing for their title charge, and it has been their attack that has carried them on this run. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last five, conceding seven in total, but during that time they have scored a remarkable 18 goals.

It gives me strong belief that they will be able to harm Gala in this derby. They drew 1-1 with Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday and are now unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions. 

Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray Odds

Looking at their squad you can see why they are so strong. Jhon Duran, Marco Asensio, Youssef En-Nesyri, Talisca, Fred and Ederson are all top talents and they should be able to end their run of 11 seasons without a league title. Beating Galatasaray to avoid being the bridesmaid every year is crucial, but they have the firepower to do so. 

Instead of just backing them to win, I like the odds on the home side to score in both halves. 30 goals in 13 games is some going, and even up against a side as defensively dominant as Galatasaray (eight league goals conceded), I think they can find joy. 

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