Galatasaray vs Sivasspor Predictions

Galatasaray play host to Sivasspor on Sunday and with just two points between the clubs in the Super Lig table, the visitors know a win would take them ahead and possibly into the top five. The hosts have only won one of their last six matches in all competitions, while the visitors are looking to extend their winning run to four games on Sunday.

Galatasaray could only manage a draw in the second leg at home in the Turkish Cup to lower league opponents Keçiörengücü, despite playing a strong starting eleven. The first half ended goalless, but when Galatasaray took the lead in the sixty-fifth minute through Akgün it looked like it was gong to be enough to earn them safe passage into the next round. However, with just five minutes left on the clock Balcı equalised for the visitors and set up a nervy end to the match. Galatasaray held on and booked their place in the next round thanks to an aggregate score of three goals to two.

Last weekend Sivasspor thrashed Ankaragücü 4-0 at home and increased the gap between the two clubs to four points. Former Brazil international Robinho, now 34-years old, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the forty-third minute and teammate Demir doubled that advantage moments before the half time whistle. The hosts scored twice more in the second half through Kılınç and Robinho to wrap up an impressive 4-0 final score, but Ankaragücü will have been disappointed not to have made more of their possession and goal scoring opportunities during the ninety minutes.

Sivasspor pulled off a 2-1 win at home against Galatasaray the last time these two clubs clashed back in February, where N’Dinga scored the only goal of the first half after sixteen minutes to hand Sivasspor the advantage at the break. Former Everton striker Koné converted a fifty-seventh minute penalty to double the hosts lead, and despite Derdiyok pulling a goal back for Galatasaray with eleven minutes left on the clock, Sivasspor held on to claim all three points.

With four wins and two draws from their last six matches, Sivasspor are the clear form favourites heading into Sunday’s match, as Galatasaray have won just once during that period. Derdiyok, who scored when these sides last met, top scores for the hosts with six goals in the Super Lig this season. Robinho might be ageing, but he has proved his worth to Sivasspor this season and leads the way on six league goals, which is two more than he managed in the previous campaign.

We’re confident that both teams will score on Sunday, and have backed the game to end in a 1-1 draw. Both teams have scored in five of the last six meetings between Galatasaray and Sivasspor, while both teams have also scored in each of the hosts’ last five matches. Sivasspor have only failed to score in one of their last six matches and we’re expecting the visitors to cause Galatasaray plenty of problems in the final third this weekend.