Konyaspor vs Galatasaray: Osimhen set to extend scoring streak – Preview, team news, predictions & H2H

Victor Osimhen and Chidozie Awaziem will take opposite sides when Konyaspor host Galatasaray in Süper Lig Matchday 10 on Friday, October 30, at Konya Büyükşehir Belediye Stadyumu.

Osimhen, the Super Eagles striker leading the division’s scoring charts with eight goals alongside Gift Orban and Mohammed Salah, carries a Galatasaray side two points clear at the top of the table.

Awaziem, the Super Eagles defender who has outscored every one of his Konyaspor teammates with two goals this season, anchors a back line trying to keep the league leaders out in Konya.

Kickoff is set for six o’clock in the evening Nigerian time, with Galatasaray arriving in unusual circumstances.

Four days earlier, Abdülkerim Bardakcı was sent off in a chaotic derby win over Fenerbahçe that ended with police on the pitch, and he has since been referred to Turkey’s disciplinary committee.

Konyaspor, 14th in the table and the division’s second-lowest scorers, will fancy their chances of frustrating a visiting side missing a first-choice centre-back on a short turnaround.

Match Radar widget: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray

Form and Context Heading Into Konya

Konyaspor’s home form over their last five matches reads two wins, one draw and two defeats, with a win over Gençlerbirliği on October 25 their most recent result.

They have scored just six goals in nine league matches this season, the second-fewest total in the division, though three clean sheets from their last five at home point to defensive solidity rather than attacking threat.

Galatasaray have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, beating Kocaelispor 1-0 on September 13, Kasımpaşa 3-1 on October 9, Gençlerbirliği 1-0 away on October 17 and Fenerbahçe 2-1 at home on October 26.

The exception was a chastening one, a 4-0 defeat away at Trabzonspor on September 19, still Galatasaray’s heaviest loss of the campaign and proof that this attacking side can be caught out on the counter.

Head-to-Head: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray

Galatasaray’s dominance in this fixture is stark. Across 33 meetings in all competitions, they have won 22 times to Konyaspor’s four, with seven draws between them.

Yet, the most recent meeting between the two sides, on February 21 this year, went the other way entirely, with Konyaspor winning 2-0 in Konya for their first win over Galatasaray in almost two years.

That result is recent enough to matter, even against such a lopsided record.

Team News and Predicted XI: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray

Abdulkerim Bardakcı’s suspension is the week’s only confirmed absence of note, but it comes attached to a bigger story.

Police entered the pitch after the final whistle of the Fenerbahçe derby, with two red and two yellow cards shown in the aftermath, and both clubs issued statements calling the scenes unacceptable.

Galatasaray have no other fitness concerns reported ahead of the trip to Konya, and Konyaspor head into the match with a fully available squad, giving İlhan Palut selection options reinforced over the recent international window.

Star Player Comparison: Victor Osimhen vs Chidozie Awaziem

The Managers: Okan Buruk vs İlhan Palut

Okan Buruk is in his fourth full season at Galatasaray, having already delivered back-to-back league titles, and he has a history over his opposite number.

Buruk won seven of his first eight meetings against İlhan Palut as a coach, with the solitary exception of a draw, but Palut finally got the better of him when Konyaspor won 2-0 in Konya this past February.

Palut, at Konyaspor, has built a side that defends in numbers and relies on moments from Awaziem and Deniz Türüç rather than sustained attacking pressure.

Konyaspor’s squad also includes Berkan Kutlu, who spent four years at Galatasaray before his move to Konya and has faced his former club since without inspiring an upset.

Tactical Preview: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray

Expect Galatasaray to press high and look to get Osimhen in behind a Konyaspor defence that will likely sit deep in a compact, banked shape.

With Bardakcı suspended, Kaan Ayhan and Davinson Sánchez are the likeliest central pairing, and Buruk may ask his full backs to provide extra width to support Yunus Akgün and Leroy Sané in the final third.

Konyaspor’s best route back into the game is the counter, breaking through Mostafa Mohamed and Türüç while Awaziem and his central defensive partner try to limit Osimhen’s service.

None of that changes the balance of probability. Galatasaray’s only blemish in their last five matches came away at Trabzonspor, while Konyaspor have not kept consecutive clean sheets against top-half opposition all season.

The Naija Slip: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray tips

Score Prediction: Konyaspor vs Galatasaray