Galatasaray set for tense game in Belgrade

Galatasaray Liv Hospital will take on Red Star Belgrade in a Turkish Airlines Euroleague Last 16 game tonight, amid security concerns following the murder of a Serbian fan in Istanbul in the last meeting between the two sides.

A 25-year-old Red Star fan, Marko Ivkovic, was stabbed to death in clashes with Galatasaray supporters before a Euroleague group stage match on Nov. 21, 2014. The incident caused an uproar in Serbia and precipitated calls for revenge from some fan groups, while also creating concerns about future matches between Turkish and Serbian teams. 

An Istanbul prosecutor last week demanded an 18-year jail term for Kadri Akta?, who is accused of killing Ivkovic, along with six others allegedly involved in the murder.

Galatasaray will fly to Belgrade with a private plane at noon today and leave right after the game. Galatasaray chairman Duygun Yarsuvat is set to travel with the team, along with seven police officers for security.

Murat Özyer, Galatasaray's basketball coordinator, said all eyes will be on the game, which will start at 10 p.m. Turkish time at the sold-out Kombank Arena. 

"Everybody will do their best to have a game that will be remembered only for basketball," he said. "It will be an important game for our fight to advance from the group. If we play a smart and controlled game, we might get a key away victory."

Red Star sits at the bottom of the Last 16 group with no wins, while Galatasaray, which has one victory, is in seventh spot.

The teams played two games in the group stage this season, respectively taking their home games, with Red Star winning 76-68 in Belgrade and Galatasaray triumphing 110-103 in double overtime in Istanbul on the night Ivkovic was killed.