Istanbul's Big Three Split the Week: Galatasaray Stumble, Fenerbahçe Grind Out a Win, Beşiktaş Left Searching for Answers

Galatasaray dropped points in a pre-season friendly at their Florya training complex on Wednesday, losing 2-1 to a workmanlike Shakhtar Donetsk side playing out of their temporary base in Western Europe — a result that will unsettle the Rams heading into the 2026-27 Süper Lig campaign, which kicks off in mid-August. The defeat was their second in three outings this summer.

That result matters now because the Istanbul clubs are entering the final stretch of pre-season preparation with competitive European qualification spots in the balance. Galatasaray finished third in the Süper Lig last term, meaning they face a UEFA Europa League qualifying playoff rather than a direct group-stage berth. Every session at Florya between now and early August counts. Head of technical operations at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex confirmed Thursday that the squad returns to double training sessions starting July 7.

Fenerbahçe Find Rhythm at Ülker, Beşiktaş Struggle in Levent

Fenerbahçe offered the sharper contrast. José Mourinho's side — the Portuguese coach signed a two-year extension in May — beat Hungarian champions Ferencváros 3-0 at the Ülker Stadyumu in Kadıköy on Tuesday in front of roughly 28,000 fans who paid between 150 and 400 Turkish lira for the pre-season showcase. Three different scorers contributed, and the club's new signing from Benfica, a 24-year-old central midfielder acquired for a reported €14 million, started and completed 75 minutes. Kadıköy's waterfront bars along Moda Caddesi were packed until past midnight after the match, a reliable barometer of the fan mood over there.

Beşiktaş had the roughest week of the three. The Black Eagles drew 1-1 with Kasımpaşa in a Turkish Cup preliminary-round tie played at the Tüpraş Stadium in Vodafone Park — apologies, at Vodafone Park in Beşiktaş itself on the European shore — and were fortunate not to lose after conceding a 78th-minute equaliser. The draw forces a replay, scheduled provisionally for July 10, adding fixture congestion to a squad already thin at left back following an injury picked up by their Senegalese defender in the first half. Club medical staff at the Beşiktaş JK facilities in Levazım confirmed the injury is muscular and that a scan is booked for Friday.

Across the city in the third tier, Eyüpspor continued their upward trajectory. The club from the historic Eyüp district on the Golden Horn, promoted to the Süper Lig two seasons ago and now an established fixture in the top flight, beat Romanian side CFR Cluj 2-0 in a closed-doors friendly at their Eyüp Stadyumu on Monday. Both goals came from their Uruguayan striker, who scored 11 league goals last season. The club's commercial team announced a new regional sponsorship deal worth approximately 40 million Turkish lira for the coming campaign.

What the Next Two Weeks Look Like

The calendar tightens quickly. Galatasaray travel to the Netherlands on July 9 for a four-day training camp, facing PSV Eindhoven in a friendly on July 11. Fenerbahçe host a second pre-season fixture at Ülker Stadyumu on July 13, opponent still to be confirmed by the club's communications office. Beşiktaş must settle their cup replay before then, and manager staff acknowledged publicly on Thursday that the squad depth in defensive areas is a genuine concern they intend to address in the transfer window before July 31.

Supporters planning to attend upcoming friendlies should check ticketing directly through Passolig, the national ticketing platform, as several club websites experienced outages Thursday following high traffic during Fenerbahçe's ticket release. The Süper Lig season proper begins the weekend of August 15-16. For the Istanbul clubs, these July days — sweaty, unresolved, full of transferred hopes and nervous refreshed browsers — are as consequential as any in October.