Trabzonspor back on track
After being eliminated from European competition, Trabzonspor got off to a slow start, scoring only four goals in the first four weeks of the Turkcell Super League competition. Last week's game against Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor would see Trabzonspor score six goals, with defender Egemen Korkmaz scoring a hat trick, as the final score there was a 6-1 road victory. Returning to the home ground of the Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium, Trabzonspor looked to keep the momentum going against Antalyaspor. The first half would be filled with missed chances and was mostly a boring 45 minutes of soccer. But in stoppage time in the first half, Trabzonspor's Selçuk İnan would deliver a pass to Umut Bulut. Bulut would deliver the ball into the back of the net giving Trabzonspor a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
The second half would feature more exciting soccer. In the 52nd minute, Trabzonspor would double their lead. Gustavo Colman would pass the ball to Drago Gabric, who immediately flicked the ball back to Colman on a give-and-go, and the Argentine would put it into the net. Trabzonspor then made it a comfortable lead, with Gabric faking out Necati Ateş and passing the ball to Gökhan Ünal. Ünal beat the offside trap, and his shot took a deflection off Antalyaspor midfielder Mile Jedinak into the goal. Jedinak would be creditied with the own goal and Trabzonspor was up 3-0. Antalyaspor would get a consolation goal as former Galatasaray defender Orhan Ak would score in the 79th minute. That was all the goals Antalyaspor would get as the final score would be 3-1 to Trabzonspor.
Beşiktaş "collapse"
After losing a heartbreaker against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, Beşiktaş had an opportunity to take the momentum off a well played midweek European match and get back on the championship track. The problem was Kayserispor got in the way. Beşiktaş did not score in the previous three league matches, and this dubious streak would be extended to four matches. Kayserispor pulled off the upset at the İnönü Stadium over Beşiktaş by a scoreline of 1-0. Kayserispor head coach Tolunay Kafkas was suspended for the game, but got to see his team take three points away from the defending Turkcell Super League champions. Turkish sports daily Fanatik would refer to this game as a Beşiktaş "collapse". In the opening minute, Bobo could not put the ball home off a corner by Serdar Özkan. In the 14th minute, Kayserispor's Franco Cángele had a shot on goal go out of bounds. Beşiktaş' Rodrigo Tello had his shot saved by the Kayserispor's goalkeeper, but Bobo would get unlucky with the rebound. In the second half, Kayserispor would take the lead in the 53rd minute, as Ariza Makukula (on loan from Benfica) would put the visitors ahead. Nihat Kahveci and Michael Fink would come in as substitutes for Beşiktaş, but it couldn't cure their woes on offense. With ten minutes left in the match, Yusuf Şimşek would come in for Beşiktaş in order to provide any sort of spark. The spark would not come as Fink would missed an open net shot, and Kahveci would have a shot of his go off the post. Beşiktaş has only been able to score only three goals throughout the league campaign, and they have fallen further behind the leaders. Kayserispor won at the İnönü Stadium for the first time in their history.
The Beşiktaş fans were not happy after this recent loss. Fans in the stadium started to throw foreign objects at the board, prompting the board to walk away from the board's tribune. Security had to restrain the fans from throwing even more objects in the board's direction. The fans chanted in the direction of Beşiktaş' chairman Yıldırım Demirören, saying "enough Yıldırım Demirören, enough" and calling for the entire Beşiktaş board to resign. The fans also voiced their displeasure at match referee Bünyamin Gezer. Chants included "Kayseri dives, Bünyamin watches" and "Dive on the grass, dive on the grass, Bünyamin Gezer dive on the grass". The field would have plastic water bottles thrown at it from time to time.
Fenerbahçe stays perfect…
Fenerbahçe has not started with a perfect record after six weeks since 1964. After a loss to FC Twente of Holland in the Europa League, Fenerbahçe wanted to get back on the winning track in league play. Fenerbahçe would continue their perfect start to the league as they would beat İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor by a slim 1-0 margin. The stadium would be sparsely full because of the end of Ramadan holiday, in which three days are holidays after the end of the month of Ramadan. Gökhan Gönül was a game time decision to start due to his shoulder injury suffered during the FC Twente match. There was a surprise to the starting lineup for Fenerbahçe, as Gökçek Vederson would start at left back replacing Roberto Carlos, and Mehmet Topuz, whose play during the Bursaspor game the previous week earned him the starting spot in this match. Topuz would also be starting in place of Emre Belözoğlu, who would be serving the second of a three game suspension.
Most of the game was dominated with Fenerbahçe possession. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor did come out with an offensive in the first five minutes, but Fenerbahçe would dominate the first half. Fenerbahçe would have many chances, in fact it looked like a contest to see who would miss the most chances on goal, as Dani Guiza, Andre Santos, Colin Kazim-Richards, and Alex de Souza would miss chances during the first half. It would take a free kick from Gökçek Vederson to put Fenerbahçe in the lead 1-0. Vederson kept the ball low and put the ball right by the left goalpost, out of the reach of İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor's goalkeeper Oğuzhan Bahadır. That would be the score at the halfway point. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor tried to come back early in the 2nd half. But many of their shots would either go out of bounds or would end up in the hands of Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Volkan Demirel. The tempo in the 2nd half didn't pick up, as Fenerbahçe tried to play a more defensive, stress-free game. After being substituted in the second half, some fans were taunting Colin Kazim-Richards. He would return the taunts with his own taunts before being restrained by the Fenerbahçe technical staff. It seems as though a fine may be coming his way. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor had a few more chances, including one at the end of the match, but it would not be enough. Alex de Souza would get a yellow card for protesting the placement of the ball for a İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor free kick at the very end of the match. Regardless, Fenerbahçe would continue their perfect start to the league.
…and Galatasaray does too
After a victory against Panathinaikos of Greece last Thursday, Galatasaray would return to Istanbul, ready to get back to league business. This week they wouldn't have to go far as they would take on another Istanbul club Kasımpaşa. This match would feature teams at the opposite ends of the table. In the 8th minute, Galatasaray's Milan Baros made a run and caused Kasımpaşa goalkeeper Tolga Özgen to come oout. Baros would pass the ball to Elano, and Elano's attempt on goal would look to be handled by Kasımpaşa's Ali Güneş, but the referee made the call to play on. Kasımpaşa would strike first, as Andre Moritz would receive a pass from Sancak Kaplan, who beat an attempted offside trap. Moritz would shoot the ball into the goal in the 26th minute. Perhaps it was surprising that Kasımpaşa came to play against one of the big three clubs of Istanbul, as they would get many good opportunities. Galatasaray would get their best chance of the game before halftime. Milan Baros pass would find Arda Turan in the box, but Turan's shot would go slightly wide to the right of the Kasımpaşa goal. Kasımpaşa would go into halftime with the 1-0 lead.
Kasımpaşa would also come out on the offensive early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Kasımpaşa's Andre Moritz would make a run, going by three Galatasaray defenders, but Emre Aşik would block the attempt on goal. Shabani Nonda, who came in as a substitute at the beginning of the second half, would have an attempt on goal. Taking advantage of a miscue by Kasımpaşa defender Koray Avci, Nonda would shoot a ball wide of the goal in the 53rd minute. Nonda, however, would be the hero of the night for Galatasaray. Nonda would put Galatasaray level in the 62nd minute, getting by the Kasımpaşa defense and putting the ball into the back of the net. Kasımpaşa then decided to try to preserve the tie. Kasımpaşa's goalkeeper Tolga Özgen would come up big in the 79th minute, saving two shots by Arda Turan to keep the score level. Nonda would come up big again, as a cross would slip from Özgen's hands and Nonda would put the ball away in the 89th minute, giving Galatasaray the lead. Nonda would then go on to complete the hat trick in the 90+3 minute, as Abdel Kader Keita's pass found the feet of Nonda. Nonda would score and that goal would be the final one. Galatasaray went on to beat Kasımpaşa 3-1, and stay perfect in the league with Fenerbahçe. Galatasaray actually lead the league at this point based on the goal differential tiebreaker.
Anatolian wrapup
This week's Anatolian action would feature the Ankara derby, Sivasspor's descent into the abyss, a game behind closed doors, and Eskişehirspor continuing their run without a loss. Diyarbakirspor would host Manisaspor this week. The result of the game ended up a scoreless tie. The game had to be played behind closed doors due to the actions of the Diyarbakirspor fans against Fenerbahce in week 3. There were chance in this game, but it seemed that nothing could be done to break the deadlock. Eskişehirspor improved their record to 3-3-0, as they would earn a victory over Gaziantepspor with a score of 3-2. Gaziantepspor would take the early lead in the 21st minute as Brazilian Ivan would pass a through ball to fellow Brazilian Julio Cesar Santos, who would put it into the back of the net. Eskişehirspor would come back though with three consecutive goals. The first of these three would come in the 36th minute. Gaziantepspor's Julio Cesar Santos was called for a handball in the box, and Ümit Karan would score his first league goal in 552 days off the penalty spot. The second of Eskişehirspor's goals would come in the 61st minute. Koray Arslan unleashed a shot from outside the box, and the shot went off the crossbar. The ball appeared to cross the line, but bounced back out of the goal. Linesman Mehmet Metin saw that the ball had crossed the goal line and informed the referee, who promptly awarded the goal. In the 73rd minute, a corner for Eskişehirspor would see Gaziantepspor goalkeeper Mahmut Bezgin come out of position, and Eskişehirspor's Luka Vucko headed the ball in the back of the net. A goal for Gaziantepspor in the 83rd minute by Julio Cesar de Souza got them within a goal. However, Eskişehirspor would hold on for the win, consolidating their third place standing. Sivasspor continued their decent from contending for the league title, to what seems as if to fight to stay up in the Super League. After struggling to get a draw against Denizlispor earlier in the week (as a make up game because of European commitments), Bursaspor would send Sivasspor to another loss, and perhaps push Sivasspor's head coach Bülent Uygun closer to the list of unemployed coaches. A 3rd minute goal by Volkan Şen would put Buraspor in the lead. Afterward, Sivasspor would get chance after chance, but nothing to show for it. Missed chances came as Bruno Mbanangoye couldn't score for the hosts in the 5th minute, İbrahim Şahin came close in the 7th, 14th, and 28th minutes, and Ersen Martin barely heading a ball out in the 42nd minute. Bursaspor would pull away in the 2nd half, as Shin Young Rok, a replacement for Sercan Yildirim, would score in the 85th minute. Mbanangoye would pull one back for Sivasspor in the 88th minute, but Shin Young Rok would answer right back in the same minute to bring the final score to 3-1. Finally this week, the Ankara derby took place at the May 19th Stadium between Ankaragücü and Gençlerbirliği. In the 10th minute, Mustafa Pektemek would score with his head off a corner kick from Labinot Harbuzi to put Gençlerbirliği in the lead. In the 32nd minute, Ankaragücü would tie the game, as Barbaros Barut would head the ball home after a cross from Ariel Broggi. In the 80th minute, Gençlerbirliği would take the lead for good, as Kahe would score off Hurşit Meriç's cross to make the final score 2-1 to Gençlerbirliği.
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