Okan Buruk and İsmail Kartal Set for Their Ninth Meeting
Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk and Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal are due to face one another for the ninth time when the Istanbul rivals meet at RAMS Park on Monday in the ninth round of the Trendyol Süper Lig.
The two managers have each claimed three victories in their eight previous official encounters, while the other two matches ended in draws. Their teams have also scored exactly 10 goals apiece across those games, making the record between the coaches unusually even.
Their previous meetings came while they were in charge of several different clubs. Buruk has faced Kartal from the dugout at Gaziantepspor, Çaykur Rizespor, Başakşehir and Galatasaray. Kartal has managed Fenerbahçe, MKE Ankaragücü, Çaykur Rizespor and Konyaspor in matches against Buruk’s sides.
The coaches’ biggest victories over one another were both by five goals. Buruk’s Başakşehir beat Kartal’s Çaykur Rizespor 5-0 in September 2019. In February 2015, Kartal’s Fenerbahçe defeated Buruk’s Gaziantepspor by the same scoreline.
Previous meetings
– 19 May 2024: Galatasaray 0-1 Fenerbahçe
Buruk: Galatasaray; Kartal: Fenerbahçe
– 24 December 2023: Fenerbahçe 0-0 Galatasaray
Kartal: Fenerbahçe; Buruk: Galatasaray
– 1 November 2020: Konyaspor 1-2 Başakşehir
Kartal: Konyaspor; Buruk: Başakşehir
– 24 February 2020: Çaykur Rizespor 1-2 Başakşehir
Kartal: Çaykur Rizespor; Buruk: Başakşehir
– 27 September 2019: Başakşehir 5-0 Çaykur Rizespor
Buruk: Başakşehir; Kartal: Çaykur Rizespor
– 30 November 2018: Çaykur Rizespor 1-1 MKE Ankaragücü
Buruk: Çaykur Rizespor; Kartal: MKE Ankaragücü
– 14 February 2015: Gaziantepspor 0-5 Fenerbahçe
Buruk: Gaziantepspor; Kartal: Fenerbahçe
– 21 September 2014: Fenerbahçe 1-0 Gaziantepspor
Kartal: Fenerbahçe; Buruk: Gaziantepspor
The approaching derby gives both sides a chance to shift a head-to-head record that has remained level after eight games. A win would put one coach ahead in the overall tally, while a draw would preserve the balance between them.
The rivalry also carries significance beyond the managers’ personal record. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are competing for points in the league, and a derby result can influence both the table and the momentum surrounding each team. The match is therefore a test of preparation as well as a high-pressure contest for the players.
Past results offer context, but they cannot determine how the next encounter will unfold. The coaches have changed clubs, squads and tactical approaches over the years, and each derby brings its own circumstances. The previous eight matches show how closely matched their teams have been overall, even though individual games have included both narrow finishes and emphatic victories.
In a fixture of this scale, discipline and decision-making can prove just as important as attacking quality. Avoiding costly errors, responding effectively to changes in the match and making the most of scoring opportunities are all likely to matter as the teams pursue a result.
Separately, footage has emerged of a traffic accident in Tekirdağ in which a car struck two teachers at a pedestrian crossing. Kindergarten teachers Sümeyye Özer and Yasemin Bodurluoğlu were injured.