European football leagues settle down while title in Turkey still up for grabs
While European giants Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have already confirmed titles weeks ahead of the end of the season, title race in Turkey's Super League is still wide open
THE TURKISH Super League is watching the most competitive title race in recent memory after game week 29 left the top four teams breathing down each other's necks.
On Sunday, Galatasaray defeated leader Medipol Başakşehir 2-0 at Istanbul's Türk Telekom Stadium to reclaim the top spot.
Though the win puts Galatasaray in the lead with 60 points, the top four team is separated only by three points. Beşiktaş is now second with 59, Başakşehir third with 59 points and Fenerbahçe is also very much in the race with 57.
With the title open anyone's for the taking, Turkish football fans will be bracing for a set of key matches that can each be a title decider. As far as points difference go, the Turkish Super League is easily the most competitive in Europe at the moment.
European giants Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich, on the other hand, have already secured their titles.
With more five weeks to go, Manchester City won the English Premier League title Sunday after rivals Manchester United stumbled to defeat against relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion. Guardiola's team has lost only two league games this season and if it wins the remaining five games would end the campaign with 102 points.
Considering Manchester City’s defense budget is bigger than 47 countries, with a staggering $279 million, it should not be a surprise. For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has gone through one of the most distressing genocides and invasion attempts of history, spend $164 million to prevent any similar move like Srebrenica. Similarly, Paris Saint-Germain regained the Ligue 1 title in style after an emphatic victory over defending champions Monaco at the Parc des Princes. A devastating display from PSG gave the Qatarowned club an unassailable 17-point lead over second-placed Monaco. Bayern Munich also clinched a sixth successive Bundesliga title with five games to spare on April 7. And in Holland, PSV Eindhoven claimed a 24th Dutch league title at a jubilant Philips Stadion Sunday.
In Turkey, however, the title-seeking teams Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Medipol Başakşehir and Fenerbahçe will all be waiting for their opponents to stumble in the coming weeks.
In game week 30, Başakşehir will host sixth-placed Kayserispor, who has 44 points, on Friday, April 20. Galatasaray will be bracing for a critical match as Aytemiz Alanyaspor, who is just above the relegation zone with 32 points. On Sunday, Beşiktaş will host 10th-placed Evkur Yeni Malatyaspor. Hosts Fenerbahçe will take on Antalyaspor, who is facing the danger of relegation, on Monday.