In one of the biggest matches in world football, Fenerbahce hosted fierce rivals Galatasaray on Monday evening, knowing that a victory would finally see them leapfrog the three-time defending champions into top spot in the Super Lig.
With one victory in their last eight against Galatasaray prior to the game, Fenerbahce were hopeful that they could get their first home win against them since 2022 for several reasons.
Galatasaray had been going through a major injury crisis, and their squad was depleted ahead of the game. However, Victor Osimhen and Mario Lemina made their return to the starting XI, albeit far from full fitness and clearly hampered.
Fener had far more momentum than their out-of-form opponents, and in front of their home crowd, this was a major opportunity to make a statement.
It was - as predicted - a fiery match, one which referee Yasin Kol failed to really control. There were lots of pauses in the game for soft fouls, and just several strange decisions, summing up the poor quality of officiating in the country.
After dominating the game early on, Galatasaray took the lead courtesy of Leroy Sane, whose deflected effort left Ederson wrong footed in goal.
To be honest, neither team played very well, and there were very few chances for either side.
In the second half, Galatasaray were happy to give up possession, as they sat back and defended their lead, with Fenerbahce unable to come close to finding a way through.
However, Galatasaray began to tire and their players were clearly struggling with their fitness, and in the 95th minute, Jhon Duran headed home after a good across from Levent Mercan to snatch a 1-1 draw.
It was probably a fair result, with neither team playing very well at all. Fenerbahce would have been disapppointed that they couldn't play better at home against a team far from their best, while Galatasaray will be frustrated that they were unable to see out the win - which would have been a huge moment.
So really, nothing changed too much for either side, and Galatasaray remain the team out in front. But it did open the door for one team...
Trabzonspor firmly enter equation
The big winners from the result on Monday were undoubtedly Trabzonspor. Fatih Tekke's team have been a revelation this season, and made it nine games unbeaten on the weekend with a 3-1 win over Konyaspor.
Paul Onuachu continued his fabulous campaign, bagging a brace as he moved to 11 goals in the Super Lig this season - more than anyone else.
Ernest Muci also got on the scoresheet, making it two excellent performances in a row now for the Albanian.
The result saw them remain in third place, but they are now just two points off Galatasaray at the top. They are playing well, and are firmly in contention for the title as it stands. Whether they can last the pace, we will have to wait and see, but there is a lot to be impressed about.
Team of the Week
Besiktas midfielder Orkun Kokcu and Karagumruk goalkeeper Ivo Grbic are the joint players of the week, according to our very own internal ratings system.
The Turkish midfielder was intstrumental in his side's 2-0 win against Grbic's Karagumruk, who himself made 10 saves, including one from the penalty spot.
Orkun's teammates Emirhan Topcu and Jota Silva also make the team, while Onuachu and Muci finds spot in the starting XI.