Galatasaray host Amed at Rams Park on 7 November 2026 in a Trendyol Super Lig Round 11 fixture where the top two are separated by just two points. Galatasaray sit top with 25 points from 10 games after going 8-1-1, while Amed trail on 23 from a 7-2-1 record having been promoted only in May 2026, two points off the summit and showing no signs of easing off. A five match winning run has Galatasaray in the kind of form that makes this look straightforward on paper and Buruk and Hasi have never met in competitive football, so neither manager has an edge born of familiarity.
Galatasaray arrive after five straight league wins, the most recent being a 4-0 dismantling of Konyaspor on 30 October 2026 that followed a 2-1 win over Fenerbahce around 26 October, showing they can grind out results against direct rivals too. Amed have been nearly as impressive, having won four of their last five including a 5-1 thrashing of Eyupspor on 1 November 2026 and a 2-1 win over Samsunspor, though both sides arrive at this one with their squads disrupted.
Okan Buruk, in charge since 1 July 2022, has shaped Galatasaray around high pressing and fluid attacking movement, while Besnik Hasi took charge of Amed on 10 June 2026 after replacing interim coach Sertac Kucukbayrak. Galatasaray are without Abdulkerim Bardakci, suspended after his red card against Fenerbahce, which disrupts their preferred back four shape. Amed have two of their own to manage: Samuel Ballet is suspended after a red card, while Dilhan Demir remains out with a cruciate ligament injury. Both sides were running 4-2-3-1 setups before these absences hit, so the central areas in particular will look rather different on the night.
Galatasaray under Buruk are built around suffocating opponents high up the pitch before they can build anything. Losing Bardakci removes a composed ball player from the back line, which Buruk will likely address by tightening his midfield screen to cut off any routes Amed might find. Lucas Torreira anchors the double pivot while Gabriel Sara advances to contribute in the final third and Victor Osimhen leads the line with around nine goals already this season, backed by Rafael Leao's direct running down the left.
Amed mirror the 4-2-3-1 and are walking into this one notably weakened. Ballet, whose hat trick before his suspension showed he was their sharpest finisher, is absent and his loss alongside Demir's long term injury leaves Orban to lead the line alone. Orban is level with Osimhen on around nine goals and will be competing directly with Galatasaray's centre backs for service, while Dany Saba will need to find Orban before those centre backs can step and squeeze him out, because if Amed cannot keep the ball through the press, Osimhen and Leao will punish every misplaced pass in Amed's own half. Sara dropping between the lines pulls one of Amed's holding midfielders out of shape, leaving Leao running at a full back without cover and without Ballet or Demir it is hard to see Amed sustaining any kind of pressure for 90 minutes. If they do bypass the first press, Orban's runs in behind could test a reorganised Galatasaray defence but the central midfield battle between Torreira and Saba is probably where this game is decided: if Torreira wins it, Galatasaray pin Amed back and Orban spends the night chasing long balls, if Saba finds space, Amed keep it competitive and his distribution becomes the difference.
This is the first Super Lig meeting between these clubs, with their only previous encounters coming in the 2014/15 Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray won 4-1 at Amed's ground and Amed took a 2-0 win at Galatasaray's stadium. Those results are too old and too contextually different to tell us much. Dead ball situations are likely to matter more than usual with key players suspended on both sides and Galatasaray still pose a set piece threat even without Bardakci while Amed will need to reorganise their marking with Ballet gone.
Galatasaray 3-0 Amed. Buruk will tighten the midfield screen to stop Amed progressing the ball cleanly and Osimhen is likely to get the first, either from a Leao cutback or a Sara through ball after Amed's midfield is bypassed. Orban will touch the ball less and less as Galatasaray's press keeps winning it back in midfield and a set piece or transition goal seals a second. Four wins from five including a 5-1 is not nothing but Galatasaray have already beaten Fenerbahce this season.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
