We’re into the quarter-final stages of the 2024 Turkish Cup, and that means there are just eight teams left in the hunt for one of the biggest trophies in Turkish domestic football. Turkish football is currently dominated by Galatasaray who will fancy their chances, but Fenerbahce and Besiktas could be challengers too.
Fixture Details – Date, Kick-off Time, and Venue
- Besiktas vs Konyaspor Tupras Stadyumu 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET / 21:00 Turkey Tuesday, February 27
- Trabzonspor vs. Istanbul Basaksehir Papara Park 9:00 UK / 20:00 CET / 21:00 Turkey Tuesday, February 27
- Ankaragucu vs Fenerbahce Eryaman Stadium 9:00 UK / 20:00 CET / 21:00 Turkey Tuesday, February 27
- Galatasaray vs Fatih Karagümrük RAMS Park 9:00 UK / 20:00 CET / 21:00 Turkey Tuesday, February 27
Team Recent Performances
Besiktas: Besiktas are in the hunt for a European place but are well off the top two in the league. Their last three league results at the time of writing were a draw, a win and a defeat, hinting at their inconsistency.
Konyaspor: Threatened by relegation they had a rare bright spot with wins over Ankaragucu, and Sivasspor before in the Cup, but they are fighting for survival.
Trabzonspor: Like Besiktas they are fighting for a European spot but are too far off the top two spots. They lost to Besiktas in early February and were tonked 5-1 by Galatasaray the month before.
Istanbul Basaksehir: Stuck in mid-table, they recently lost 2-0 to Galatasaray and the Cup is their best shot at success this season.
Ankaragucu: Another mid-table side, they lost 2-1 against Fenerbahce at the end of January but managed to smash 24 Erzincanspor 5-1 in the last round of the Cup.
Fenerbahce: In the hunt for the league, and they have not lost all year, and kicked off 2024 with 5-1 and 7-1 wins, over İstanbulspor and Konyaspor respectively.
Galatasaray: Leading the way in the Super Lig, they defeated Sparta Praha 3-2 in the first Europa League knockout round earlier in the week as they look to land a treble.
Fatih Karagümrük: 16th in the Super Lig, they put two wins together, most recently a 2-0 win against Pendikspor and before then the last cup round, beating Samsunspor 2-1.
Tactical Analysis – Strategies Unveiled
- Besiktas vs Konyaspor: Fernando Santos is known for his commitment to defensive tactics, and Besiktas are currently struggling to compete with the top two sides in the league. Konyaspor will hope to negate any attacking efforts and negate the threats of Vincent Aboubakar, Ante Rebic, and Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain.
- Trabzonspor vs. Istanbul Basaksehir: Trabzonspor’s Abdullah Avcı is also known for his defensive play. Krzysztof Piątek is Basaksehir’s figurehead and top goalscorer, so he will need to be at his ruthless best against a tough defence.
- Ankaragucu vs Fenerbahce: Ismail Kartal is another manager who focuses on defence first, but his Fener side have both Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko to offer attacking nous, and Michy Batshuayi offers goals.
- Galatasaray vs Fatih Karagümrük: The sheer quality of Gala’s attacking options coupled with their relentless pressing high up the pitch could see Fatih struggle to keep up with their opponents.
Key Players – Impactful Figures on the Pitch
Besiktas: Cenk Tosun’s experience continues to be a threat, while Daniel Amartey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ante Rebic offer talent from overseas.
Konyaspor: Sokol Cikalleshi – the Albanian striker has eight goals from 20 games and is the side’s danger man.
Trabzonspor: They have a host of experienced names from European football, including Thomas Meunier, Nicolas Pepe and Mahmoud Trezeguet.
Istanbul Basaksehir: Krzysztof Piatek has a goal every other game for his side this season, and the imposing Pole may be the difference.
Ankaragucu: Efkan Beiroglu and Tolga Cigerci are their best going forward, with former Manchester United hero Federico Macheda not finding the net regularly.
Fenerbahce: Fred has been missed by Manchester United, but Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko offer a cutting edge higher up the pitch alongside Michy Batshuayi.
Galatasaray: Mauro Icardi could end up with more than 30 goals this season, and with Dries Mertens and Wilf Zaha playing alongside him, and Tanguy Ndombele, Serge Aurier and Carlos Vinicius also available, as well as Davinson Sanchez and Hakim Ziyech, this is a star-studded squad.
Fatih Karagümrük: Marcus Rohden and Guven Yalcin both have an eye for goal and will need to be at their best.
Match Previews – Anticipating the Action
- Besiktas vs Konyaspor: Besiktas’ attacking play should be too much for the relatively limited Konyaspor, who will have to hope for a defensive error to steal a goal or two.
- Trabzonspor vs. Istanbul Basaksehir: Trabzonspor also like to keep things tight, while Basaksehir will need to hope that Piatek is able to take advantage of any chances that come his way.
- Ankaragucu vs Fenerbahce: Edin Dzeko’s experience and strength should be enough to beat off the home side, who will hope for a rare off day from a side who need to stay in the cup in case they are beaten to the league by Gala.
- Galatasaray vs Fatih Karagümrük: Mauri Icardo looks at home at Gala and if he continues to put away the chances offered up by the stars creating behind him, Fatih have no chance.
Fan Engagement – Supporting Your Team
Galatasaray have long been famous for the intimidating nature of their support, with the huge waves of noise their fans generate, as well as the flags, banners and fireworks on display. It does not stop there, as Fenerbahce and the other six teams in the hunt for the cup will also have fans trying to push on their teams to victory. This is a chance for Turkish fans to offer what they can to help their teams to win a trophy.
Road to the Semi-Finals – Implications of the Results
The winner of Ankaragucu vs Fenerbahce will play the winner of Besiktas vs Konyaspor, meaning the winner of Trabzonspor vs Basaksehir will play the winner of Galatasaray vs. Fatih Karagumruk.
Socios.com Integration – Enhancing Fan Engagement (Galatasaray + Trabzonspor)
Galatasaray Fan Tokens and Trabzonspor Fan Tokens are a digital asset that lets you turn your support into rewards. As a Fan Token holder, you will get the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, unique rewards, and other kinds of prizes that reward your passionate lifelong support for your team. Fan Tokens will let you take part in official club polls, predict results, check-in for games, play games, pick your favourite players and even more, all while earning reward points to help you win Fan Rewards.
