DERBY DAYS GALATASARAY v FENERBAHCE:One of the greatest local rivalries in world sport is between two soccer clubs based on separate continents.

Galatasaray v Fenerbahçe Venue: Ali Sami Yen Stadium Kick-off: Tonight, 7pm

This evening in the Fortis Türkiye Kupasi, the Turkish equivalent of the English FA Cup (though it does break halfway through the competition for a league system, before returning again to knockout, albeit two-legged), Galatasaray welcome Fenerbahçe to the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The first leg ended on the Asian side of the city after much shouting, but no score.

The crumbling home of Cimbom - as Galatasaray are known - is devoid of any comfort, but on a night such as this, when the club's principal foes invade their side of town, it becomes a red-hot cauldron, which may partly explain why it was built right on the banks of the Bosphorus. It was because of this the familiar "Welcome to Hell" signs were created in the first place, why visiting fans refer to the ground as "Cehennem" (hell).

But for such a huge occasion, the stadium itself is far too small - though, in an old Thomond Park kind of way, what it lacks in size it makes up for with its own terrifyingly intimidating atmosphere.

And so with the Limerick ground, work has finally started on a new stadium, which will have a capacity of 52,500.

Tonight, though, the 22,500 all-seater old relic will be the scene of another life-or-death battle, no war, between two bitter adversaries - winning the Istanbul derby is as important to the respective fans as claiming the cup title, or even taking the Turkish Super League title for that matter.

The clubs were formed within two years of each other in the first years of the 20th century when the Ottoman Empire was on it knees - which was just as well considering their attitude to soccer.

And while class may once have had some part to play in the early years - Fenerbahçe associated with the working class and Galatasaray favoured by the city's aristocrats - those lines have been so blurred in modern times as to be rendered meaningless.

Legend and news clippings have it the rivalry between the clubs has its roots in a match in 1934 that was supposed to be a friendly but ended with players slugging it out on the pitch and opposing fans clashing in the stands.

One of the most famous incidents, however, involves a Scot and a Welshman. During the 1995/1996 season, a struggling Galatasaray - with Graeme Souness at the helm - beat a high-flying Fenerbahçe in the cup final first leg thanks to a Dean Saunders goal.

In an electric atmosphere in the return fixture at Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium, the home side won 1-0 in normal time, but another Saunders goal in extra-time claimed the cup for the visitors.

Souness took it upon himself to plant a giant Galatasaray flag in the middle of the Fenerbahçe pitch. This made him an instant hero to the visiting fans and placed him at the top of the hate list for the home support.

Galatasaray Spor Kulübü are the only Turkish club to return from Europe with silverware - Arsenal fans will remember their 4-1 defeat on penalties, after a scoreless draw, in the Uefa Cup final of 2000.

The Gheorghe Hagi-inspired team that claimed the Uefa Cup, Super Cup, Turkey Cup and Super League title in the 1999/2000 season are a distant memory, however, and it is Fenerbahçe that are excelling in Europe; the "Yellow Canaries" are currently in the last 16 of the Champions League.

For the Galatasaray fans, it makes tonight's contest all the more important.

And, with two-thirds of the Turkey Super League played, it's already looking like a two-horse race, with Galatasaray a single point head of their fierce rivals.

The third-last league game of the 2007-2008 season will be another visit to Ali Sami Yen Stadium by Fenerbahçe - this time, the league title will be on the line.

To fans, however, it will make little difference. Each meeting is its own full-length war anyway.