Fener, Genclerbirligi Get to Know Each Other This Week

Fenerbahce will get to know their Turkcell Super Lig opponents Genclerbirligi quite well this week, starting today with a Fortis Turkish Cup match against the "Red-Blacks." This weekend, the Canaries will also host them at Sukru Saracoglu. Today's kickoff is at 1 PM EST in the U.S.

Fener is hoping to erase the bad memory of last weekend's draw vs. Kayseri Erciyesspor. A costly mistake by GK Volkan Demirel allowed Erciyesspor to get on the board first, and one point was barely salvaged when Alex de Souza found the back of the net in the 83rd minute. The game was a microcosm of Fenerbahce's losses and draws this season - missed opportunities. Deivid de Souza and Tumer Metin both had fantastic opportunities to get on the scoreboard for Fener, but couldn't take advantage of their opportunities. To make matters worse, Galatasaray and Besiktas both won over the weekend inching closer to Fener in the standings. Besiktas's win came from a magnificent hat-trick performance by former Canary Marcio "Mert" Nobre.

Genclerbirligi is hoping to make a significant move in the tables this season, aiming toward their goals of repeating their 2003-2004 success in the UEFA Cup. They currently sit in sixth place in the league, tied in points with Kayserispor. They are only five points behind third place Besiktas, and eleven points behind Fenerbahce.

Today's opponent will be a familiar one for several Fenerbahce players, including Deniz Baris and Umit Ozat. Both players once played for Genclerbirligi.