Galatasaray vs Samsunspor Prediction: Lions to come out roaring after Intercontinental derby disappointment

Galatasaray suffered heartache in the Intercontinental derby on Monday, with Jhon Duran’s equaliser in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time earning Fenerbahce a point in a 1-1 draw at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

Still, Okan Buruk’s side are top of the Super Lig standings in Turkey, a point ahead of their bitter rivals Fener, and on Friday (17:00 GMT), they have a chance to extend that lead to four points, if only for 24 hours, with Samsunspor providing the opposition at Rams Park. Read below for my Galatasaray vs Samsunspor predictions, alongside team news and match odds.

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Team News

Metehan Baltaci and Eren Elmali are serving suspensions for Galatasaray following a betting probe by the Turkish Football Federation, while Ismail Jakobs (unspecified) and Wilfried Singo (muscle) are both sidelined due to injury.

However, Roland Sallai, who was sent off in Gala’s 3-2 win against Genclerbirligi on November 22, is free to return to action after being banned for the Intercontinental derby earlier this week.

Football Odds

Bedirhan Cetin, Tanguy Coulibaly (both knee), Afonso Sousa (ankle), Olivier Ntcham (hamstring), Ebrima Ceesay and Lubomir Satka (both unspecified) are all set to sit this one out for Samsunspor, who have Celil Yuksel suspended for the same reason as Baltaci and Elmali.

Joe Mendes is banned after seeing red in Monday's 1-1 home draw with Alanyaspor.

Galatasaray vs Samsunspor Odds

Gala have won the last eight meetings, and the Lions are 2/5 to make it nine on Friday, implying a 71.4% probability of success, with the draw priced at 7/2, and a first head-to-head victory for Samsunspor since February 2005 priced at 6/1 (14.3%).

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Galatasaray & Yes @ 7/4

Gala have kept six Super Lig clean sheets this season, but four came in their first five games, including three to kick off the campaign.

Buruk’s side have conceded in six of their last seven league matches, including the last three, and their opponents on Friday, Samsunspor, have struck in 12 of their 14 Super Lig games this season.

Samsunspor have scored in their last six matches, last failing to fire in a goalless home draw with Fenerbahce on October 5. They’ve notched in all six away matches, racking up 11 goals in total on their travels - only Fenerbahce (16), Besiktas, Gala (both 13) and Istanbul Basaksehir (12) have scored more times away from home, and Samsunspor have played fewer than all four.

Today's Football Fixtures

The Red Lightning struck twice in last season’s corresponding fixture (November 2024), suffering a 3-2 defeat at Rams Park, where they have scored on all three visits to date, and going back to September 2004, they have notched in their last five trips to Gala.

Despite conceding in their last five home games against Samsunspor, Gala have won all of them, and they will be targeting an eighth home win in a row against them this Friday.

Anytime Goalscorer - Cherif Ndiaye (SAM) @ 11/4

Senegalese striker Cherif Ndiaye enjoyed two goal-laden seasons at Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, netting 15 goals in 39 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign, and 22 goals in 42 games the following campaign.

Ndiaye struck once in three contests for Red Star this term before sealing a switch to Samunspor, for whom he has scored four times in eight matches (six starts).

The 29-year-old has also been scoring for his country in the last couple of months, netting in Senegal’s 5-0 win against South Sudan on October 10 and their 8-0 hammering of Kenya on November 18.

If you’re convinced by my reasoning for Samsunspor to score on Friday, Ndiaye could be an attractive proposition in the Anytime Goalscorer market, considering he has taken to the Turkish top flight like a duck to water.