ANKARA UEFA Cup holders Galatasaray began the mid-season league break at the weekend in the unfamiliar position of having other clubs breathing down their necks.

A pack of Istanbul neighbors and teams from Turkey's Anatolian heartland are chasing the champions hard, promising an unusually tight and competitive second half of the season.

Galatasaray, who have made a good start in the second group phase of the Champions League, lost 2-1 at home to 11th-placed Denizlispor on Saturday.

They were without leading players Claudio Tafarrel, Gheorghe Hagi and unsettled striker Mario Jardel and clearly struggled against modest opposition.

"Their heads were on holiday, not on the match," said Coach Mircea Lucescu. "We missed a great opportunity."

Galatasaray, champions for the past four years, remained top of the 18-team first division but only on goal difference from Fenerbahce. Istanbul side Besiktas are third two points behind the leaders.

A devastating earthquake disrupted last season but after 18 matches Galatasaray were already runaway leaders, nine points ahead of second-placed Besiktas.

This season promises to be much more competitive.

Galatasaray have dropped points to mediocre opposition while traditional Istanbul rivals Besiktas and Fenerbahce, determined to break Galatasaray's monopoly of the honors, have invested in classy foreign strikers.

(Reuter)