Turkey's top-tier Spor Toto Super Lig's new season is set to begin on Friday as the season's debut match will be played between MKE Ankaragücü and defending champions Galatasaray in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The 2018-2019 football season will be named 'Lefter Kucukandonyadis Season' after the legendary football player of Istanbul heavyweights Fenerbahçe who died in 2012.
The match at Osmanlı Stadium in Ankara will kick off at 9.45 p.m. local time (1845GMT).
The new season will see 18 teams from 13 Turkish provinces play 306 matches in 290 days.
Caykur Rizespor, MKE Ankaragucu, and Buyuksehir Belediye Erzurumspor are the league's newcomers from a lower division.
There are five teams from Istanbul, namely, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Kasımpaşa, and Medipol Başakşehir.
The first half of the 2018-2019 season will end on December 23 and the season will finish on May 26, 2019.
The first big game of the season will be in Week Four as Trabzonspor will host Galatasaray at Medical Park Stadium.
This season's first derby game will be played between Fenerbahce and Beşiktaş at Fenerbahçe's Ulker Stadium, city rivals' showdown will be held in Week Six.
In Week 11, fierce rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce will meet in Galatasaray's home, Turk Telekom Stadium. Two weeks later Trabzonspor will face Fenerbahçe in Black Sea province of Trabzon.
In Week 14, Istanbul giants Beşiktaş and Galatasaray will meet in Beşiktaş' home ground Vodafone Park.
The first half's last big game will be held between Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor at Vodafone Park in Week 16.
This season the league will also put to use Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. VAR system was used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
VAR was used for the first time in Turkey in Turkish Football Federation Super Cup game last weekend.
VAR will be used in several specific cases: goals, penalties, direct red cards and yellow cards and mistaken identity. But the final decision will be made by the referee.
Summer transfer window for Turkish clubs will close on August 31. The mid-season transfer window will open on Jan. 4, 2019 and close on Jan. 31.
Friday:
MKE Ankaragücü-Galatasaray at 1845GMT
Saturday:
Çaykur Rizespor-Kasımpaşa at 1630GMT
Demir Grup Sivasspor-Alanyaspor at 1630GMT
Fenerbahçe-Bursaspor at 1845GMT
Sunday:
Medipol Başakşehir-Trabzonspor at 1630GMT
Atiker Konyaspor-Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor at 1630GMT
Beşiktaş-Akhisarspor at 1845GMT
Göztepe-Yeni Malatyaspor at 1845GMT
Monday:
Kayserispor-Antalyaspor at 1845GMT
