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Bilic wants to attain victory through patience

There are many indicators that Besiktas are the favorites in this derby but once the match starts, the role of the favorite becomes irrelevant

The first big derby of the Turkish Super League is ahead of us. A genuine treat for everybody following Turkish football is taking place tonight at Ataturk Arena, which is able to host 68 000 supporters. It is a huge number, while even more terrifying seems the fact that the tickets have been sold out but only the home fans have been able to buy them because the Galatasaray fans have a restraining order for the derby matches in which Galatasaray is not the home team. Although this is not their real stadium, the heated atmosphere the Besiktas fans are about to create will be a huge advantage in this derby. 

Chroniclers who have been following Besiktas for a long time say that the team has not played this good in a long time and coach Slaven Bilic is the one to take credit for it. Bilic has transformed the team that possesses one or two star players into a battle machine able to run a lot and fight endlessly and it is all thanks to young players. What Besiktas had been missing all these years is the winning mentality, which Bilic has instilled in his players and as a result, when they are losing they don't falter, they don't stop running but fight instead, in order to turn the result around. 

- We face a team that has won two consecutive championships. We have to keep on with good performances after the 3-0 hammering of Bursaspor in an away game. We anxiously await this match and hope our supporters will be there for us in large numbers, as per usual - said key midfielder in Bilic's team, Portuguese Fernandes. 


- We don't need to rush because we are in a position to dictate the tempo and the game in front of our supporters. If we stay focused on the match and if we are patient enough, the chances to score a goal will come and then we must seize them - said coach Slaven Bilic to his players in the eve of the great derby. 


Defender Koybasi, midfielders Ozyakup and Boral, and forwards Holosko and Sismanoglu are unavailable, either due to injuries or over suspension, while some of them will watch the match from the stands because a club can only have a certain number of foreign players on the team. 


Galatasaray have made a poor start to their season. After four matches, Fatih Terim's players have won only six points which, when compared to Besiktas' 12 points, is far too little. One victory in four matches created a tumultuous atmosphere in the club, starting a storm of critiques aimed at Fatih Terim who, besides being at the helm of Galatasaray, has taken over the position of the Turkish national selector, which made people at the club very angry. The drop that spilled the glass was the home rout they suffered against Real Madrid, after which the critiques went public. Terim had to do something to avoid going into this match in such a somber atmosphere. 


- The team had come to their senses, which is why that defeat is even more difficult to digest. I am not overly concerned with the defeat but it infuriates me to see a team lacking in fighting spirit. You have to get ahold of yourselves before the Sunday derby - Fatih Terim told his players. 


If Terim loses this derby, he will trail Besiktas nine points so his otherwise "rock solid" position at the club will become doubtful. For this derby, Terim can't count on his substitute goalkeeper Iscana and on Hamil Altintop, while Drogba has felt minor disturbances but should be ready for the match nonetheless. 

I know that derby games are tough bets, as aside from mere statistics and current form motivation plays an important role, transforming a poor team into a formidable rival. But even if we take into account everything that holds significance in every derby, I still get the impression that Besiktas have the upper hand here. If we look at the stats, things are clear. Besiktas have won all their fixtures this season, and they've managed to reach good form even faster by playing European matches, which puts them ahead in that respect as well. Motivation is a vital factor, and there will be no lack of it on both sides, but if I have to pick whose is "stronger", I would pick Besiktas, for two reasons. The first is that they finally have a chance to knock down the champions, extend their lead over them to nine points and make the first step towards a long-awaited title. Besiktas have been living in the shadow of Galatasaray, and even Fenerbahce, but at this point they are ahead of both of their rivals. The second reason is Slaven Bilic. The Croatian manager hasn't forgotten who eliminated him from Euro 2008, when Croatia played perhaps the best football in their history. Slaven Bilic will do everything to outsmart Galatasaray's manager Fatih Terim and knock him out of the title race. The reason number three are fans, and they play a major role in Turkey, both by supporting their own team, as well as by putting pressure on referees, who tend to succumb to it and favor the home team. 68 thousand Besiktas fans will create one hell of an atmosphere. And finally, let me just comment on the away team. Their situation is far from ideal. Their manager has a double job, which is never a good thing, and their heavy defeat against Real Madrid indicates that the current situation at Galatasaray is far from positive. They have the players, they have the stars, but we all know these are all secondary things in a derby, Besiktas will not lose here, and betting 1 on an outcome without a draw represents a good value for a medium stake bet.