Can Erozden
13 May 2021•Update: 13 May 2021
ANKARA
The 2021 Turkish Super Lig champions will be revealed Saturday as a fierce race among the top three clubs -- Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce -- will end.
League leaders Besiktas racked up 81 points in 39 weeks but the Black Eagles had a shocking 2-1 home loss against mediocre Fatih Karagumruk on Tuesday, risking title chances.
Also with 81 points, Galatasaray are now behind Besiktas with a two-goal difference.
Besiktas scored 87 goals but conceded 43 -- a 44 goal difference in the standings.
Title contenders Galatasaray scored 77 goals but conceded 35, a 42 goal difference for the Lions.
Galatasaray were encouraged with their latest victories, including a 3-1 derby win against Besiktas on May 8 and a 4-1 away win Tuesday over already-relegated Yukatel Denizlispor to level with Besiktas in the standings.
In the final fixture, the Lions will host Helenex Yeni Malatyaspor in Istanbul. In order to be crowned champions, Galatasaray need to secure a goal parade to beat Besiktas with a goal difference section, as the gap is two goals.
Meanwhile, Besiktas will visit Goztepe, who are in mid-table.
Besiktas should also focus on a victory, a draw or loss may spell trouble in the final juncture.
Fenerbahce have slight chance but chasing rivals
One of the Big Three, third-place Fenerbahce have bagged 79 points to have the slimmest chances at the title.
Fenerbahce will look for mistakes from rivals Besiktas and Galatasaray this weekend but need to get a win against Hes Kablo Kayserispor.
Kayserispor are currently in 17th place with 41 points. The team from central Turkey is in need of at least a draw to survive being relegated.
This season, Fenerbahce showed perseverance with a firm grip on the title race but were defeated 2-1 by Demir Grup Sivasspor at Istanbul's Ulker Stadium -- a serious loss for the Yellow Canaries.
The defeat caused Fenerbahce to slip from the second spot.
3 clubs relegated, 4th waiting
Three clubs have been relegated from the Super Lig: Buyuksehir Belediye Erzurumspor, MKE Ankaragucu and Yukatel Denizlispor.
The three will play in the lower league next season.
A fourth club is waiting for bad news.
Only one team in the relegation zone is struggling to survive: Genclerbirligi, which have 38 points before the final week.
The Ankara club will face fourth-place Trabzonspor on Saturday in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, a tough away match.
It will be a life or death match for Genclerbirligi as the visitors' first task is to earn a win to level with Kayserispor in the standings.
The Red and Black will then have to root for a loss by Kayserispor.
Genclerbirligi have the advantage in head-to-head comparison this season, beat Kayserispor 3-2 at home and playing to a 2-2 draw in the away match held in the central province of Kayseri.
Super Lig's final fixtures will be held Saturday.
Final match week in Super Lig
MKE Ankaragucu - Aytemiz Alanyaspor at 1500GMT
Demir Grup Sivasspor - Kasimpasa at 1500GMT
Caykur Rizespor - Medipol Basaksehir at 1500GMT
Atakas Hatayspor - Gaziantep at 1500GMT
Fatih Karagumruk - Yukatel Denizlispor at 1500GMT
Fraport TAV Antalyaspor - Ittifak Holding Konyaspor at 1500GMT
Trabzonspor - Genclerbirligi at 1730GMT
Goztepe - Besiktas at 1730GMT
Hes Kablo Kayserispor - Fenerbahce at 1730GMT
Galatasaray - Helenex Yeni Malatyaspor at 1730GMT
