The Turkish Cup’s 63rd version reaches its climax on Wednesday as final yr’s runners-up Galatasaray lock horns with Trabzonspor at Gaziantep Stadium.
Galatasaray arrive as final season’s Süper Lig champions, coming into the match straight on the group stage.
Placed in Group C alongside Başakşehir, Boluspor, and Konyaspor, the Lions stumbled out of the gates with a 2-2 draw towards Başakşehir, bounced again with a commanding 4-1 win over Boluspor, then settled for a goalless draw towards Konyaspor.
With 5 factors, they completed stage on factors and purpose distinction with Başakşehir however superior to the knockout stage on truthful play – because of fewer yellow playing cards.
Their path from there was something however clean.
As group runners-up, they confronted the drawback of taking part in away from residence all through the knockout rounds.
First got here a bruising quarterfinal conflict towards archrivals Fenerbahçe, the place Galatasaray emerged 2-1 winners, led by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen’s sharp ending.
The semifinal noticed Okan Buruk’s facet dismantle Konyaspor 5-1, a blistering response to their earlier draw within the group section.
Galatasaray have tallied 13 objectives and conceded 5 en path to the ultimate, with Osimhen main the scoring charts with three objectives in as many video games.
Yusuf Demir and Roland Sallai every added two, whereas Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Davinson Sanchez, Lucas Torreira, Ahmed Kutucu, Eyüp Aydın, and Alvaro Morata chipped in with one apiece.
Head coach Okan Buruk used the match to rotate his squad, providing beneficial minutes to fringe gamers.
Goalkeeper Günay Güvenç stood between the posts in all 5 matches, whereas names like Berkan Kutlu, Metehan Baltacı, Elias Jelert, and Kerem Demirbay grew to become common fixtures.
Awaiting them within the last are Trabzonspor, making their seventeenth Turkish Cup last look and chasing a tenth title.
The Black Sea facet final tasted cup glory in 2020 and are eager to bounce again after final season’s 3-2 heartbreak towards Beşiktaş in Istanbul.
Their cup historical past is wealthy, with triumphs stretching from their golden period within the late Seventies to their trendy success in 2019-20. But heartbreak has additionally stalked them, with seven last defeats casting shadows over previous campaigns.
Galatasaray, nonetheless, stay the match’s most profitable membership.
The Lions have lifted the trophy 18 instances in 23 finals, together with a blistering run of 4 straight wins to open the competitors’s historical past from 1962 to 1966.
Their title hauls span many years, with silverware arriving in 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1990-91, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2004-05, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2018-19. Another win wouldn’t solely prolong their file however reaffirm their home dominance.
Since its inception in 1962-63 by the Turkish Football Federation, the Turkish Cup has been a canvas for glory, despair, and drama.
Known briefly because the Federation Cup between 1980 and 1992, it returned to its unique title within the early ’90s and has since grow to be one in all Turkish soccer’s most coveted prizes. In complete, 16 completely different golf equipment have claimed the cup, with Beşiktaş (11), Trabzonspor (9), and Fenerbahçe (7) following Galatasaray’s lead.
Other champions embody Altay, Ankaragücü, Göztepe, Gençlerbirliği, and Kocaelispor, every with two titles, whereas sides like Bursaspor, Sakaryaspor, and Sivasspor have all etched their names as soon as into the historical past books.
Of the 24 golf equipment to have reached a last, solely 16 have managed to win it.
Some – like Başakşehir, Adana Demirspor, and Alanyaspor – are nonetheless chasing that elusive first title. In phrases of ultimate success charge, Galatasaray once more lead the pack with 18 wins in 23 appearances.
Beşiktaş comply with with 11 from 17, whereas Trabzonspor’s 9 titles come from 16 makes an attempt. Fenerbahçe, regardless of reaching 18 finals, trails with simply seven wins.
Source: www.dailysabah.com