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There are few fixtures in Turkish football bigger than Galatasaray against Beşiktaş, and this weekend’s meeting in Istanbul carries extra weight, Footynaija reports.
League leaders Galatasaray will be strengthened by the return of striker Victor Osimhen, who is back in the squad after sitting out the midweek Turkish Cup tie.
Osimhen was not involved as Galatasaray travelled to face Alanyaspor on Tuesday night. With qualification already within reach, coach Okan Buruk chose to rest his leading scorer. The decision proved wise. Even without their Nigerian forward, Galatasaray secured a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Barış Alper Yılmaz and Renato Nhaga, finishing top of their group with four wins from four matches.
🧛No striker in the world works off the ball as hard as Victor Osimhen. That’s why they worship him in Galatasaray pic.twitter.com/UdgogpvHLR
— Football Money (@FollowD_Money) February 18, 2026
Osimhen’s absence was simply precautionary rather than tactical. He had scored in the previous league match, his 10th goal of the season, in a 3-1 win. Now, with the derby looming, his return could not be better timed.
Saturday’s encounter at the Tüpraş Stadium will mark the 340th meeting between Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. Historically, Galatasaray hold a slight edge in victories, but derby form often ignores league positions.
Although Galatasaray sit top and Beşiktaş are fourth, past meetings have shown that anything can happen. Indeed, in this stadium last season, Beşiktaş ran out 2-1 winners and managed to keep Osimhen quiet.
Wilfred Ndidi scores his first goal for Beşiktaş 💥 pic.twitter.com/CIUif52h9B
— Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) October 22, 2025
Buruk expects a stern test again.
“We’re going to play against a very good team,” he told the club’s official website.
“Especially against us, Beşiktaş will be at their best, highly motivated, and in top form. They have an improving performance. We know that with Coach Sergen, the team’s performance has improved, and they’ve been strengthened by the new transfers.
“We are aware of how strong our opponent is. But we are Galatasaray, and we go into every match to win. Hopefully, it will be a good match. We always go onto the field to win. It doesn’t matter if other teams drop points; both teams will go onto the field aiming for victory.”
Beşiktaş, now guided by Sergen Yalçın, have shown strong consistency, averaging nearly two points per game since his appointment in August. They are unbeaten in 16 matches, with their last loss coming in November after being reduced to ten men against Fenerbahçe.
Captain and his Vice.
— Latifat Adebayo-Ohio (@Phatill) January 18, 2026
Ndidi x Osimhen #PhatillTakesAFCON pic.twitter.com/Ympvslvyk0
Central to that run has been Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is expected to anchor the midfield once again. Ndidi, vice-captain alongside Osimhen for Nigeria, will likely be tasked with breaking up play and limiting the striker’s impact.
It sets the stage for a fascinating subplot: international team-mates turned derby rivals, each determined to lead his club to victory. In a fixture known for intensity, noise and unpredictability, Osimhen’s battle with Ndidi adds fresh intrigue to one of Turkey’s fiercest football rivalries.
