Turkish Süper Lig archrivals Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray played out a goalless draw on Sunday, maintaining the deadlock at the top of the league.
The match, which lacked significant scoring opportunities, was marked by a flurry of fouls, with referee Arda Kardeşler blowing his whistle for a total of 45 fouls, causing the game to halt every two minutes.
With this result, both teams elevated their points to 44, yet Fenerbahçe retained their leadership position through goal difference.
For weeks, football enthusiasts eagerly awaited the Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray derby in the Süper Lig, only to witness a bland stalemate devoid of goals.
In a fiercely contested match with few scoring opportunities, the first accurate shot came from Galatasaray's Hakim Ziyech in the second half.
Before the derby, three players on the brink of card accumulation faced suspension.
Fenerbahçe's Irfan Can Kahveci, who received a yellow card in the 57th minute, will miss the next match due to suspension.
In Galatasaray, Torreira and Boey, both shown yellow cards, will be absent from the upcoming match against Konyaspor.
The Yellow Canaries' gaffer, Ismail Kartal, made four changes to the starting lineup compared to the previous match against Kayserispor.
In the absence of the suspended Fred, Kartal fielded Miguel Crespo, while Irfan Can Kahveci replaced Ismail Yüksek.
Due to illness, Serdar Aziz, who missed three-day training, was replaced by Oosterwolde against Galatasaray.
Another change by Kartal occurred in the forward line, with the Bosnian striker Dzeko returning to the starting lineup in place of the injured Batshuayi.
Facing Galatasaray, Kartal selected Livakovic in goal, and the defensive lineup included Osayi-Samuel, Djiku, Oosterwolde and Ferdi Kadıoğlu.
In the midfield, Crespo, Irfan Can Kahveci, Cengiz Ünder, Szymanski and Tadic played, while Dzeko led the attack while relegating Irfan Can Eğribayat, Samet Akaydin, Mert Müldür, Bartuğ Elmaz, İsmail Yüksek, Emre Mor, Kent, King, Umut Nayir and Batshuay to the bench.
The ongoing Claw-Lock operation in northern Iraq, resulting in the loss of soldiers, was not forgotten at the derby.
Expressions of "Başımız Sağ Olsun" (Condolences) were displayed on LED screens in the stadium before the match.
There were no advertisements on the screens inside the stadium before the game.
Before warming up for the match, Fenerbahçe carried a "Başımız Sağ Olsun" banner onto the field, receiving a large applause from the stands.
The fans in Kadiköy condemned terrorism with chants and the players warmed up in black shirts before the match.
Before the match, both teams entered the ceremony with banners reading "Şehitler Ölmez Vatan Bölünmez" ("Martyrs Never Die, Homeland is Indivisible").
Following the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) decision, players took the field with black armbands, and a one-minute silence was observed before the game.
During the tribute and the national anthem, the names of the 12 soldiers who lost their lives were displayed on the LED screens on the field.
Fenerbahçe's prolific striker Edin Dzeko made his comeback in the Galatasaray match.
Having been sidelined in the previous match against Kayserispor due to a detected strain in his right hamstring, Dzeko joined the team for the derby.
With 12 goals and four assists in 15 appearances in the Süper Lig this season, Dzeko, sharing the top spot in the goal-scoring charts with Galatasaray's Mauro Icardi, has scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 21 official matches for Fenerbahçe.
As for Galatasaray's side, due to a yellow card suspension in the previous week's match against Fatih Karagümrük, Fernando Muslera returned to the goalpost, replacing Günay Güvenç on the bench.
Galatasaray's injured defender, Davinson Sanchez, was not included in the match squad.
Before the match, coach Okan Buruk stated that the Colombian player could not be included in the squad due to pain.
Sergio Oliveira, who underwent surgery and Angelino were also absent from the derby squad for Galatasaray.
For the first time in four years, Galatasaray fans took their place in the stands in a derby away at Fenerbahçe.
By the decision of the Istanbul Governorship Sports Security Board, 2,079 Galatasaray fans gathered at RAMS Park and traveled to Ulker Stadium by bus to watch the derby.
To avoid any havoc, the yellow-red fans took their places in the stands to watch the match under strict security measures,
Galatasaray fans last attended a derby in Kadıköy on Feb. 23, 2020, during the second half of the 2019-2020 season.
After three years and 10 months of hiatus, the fans supported their team in Kadıköy.
