Round 16 of the Turkish Super Lig kicks off at the Alanya Oba Stadium on Tuesday afternoon as Alanyaspor host Ankaragucu.
Both teams are currently separated by one spot and one point, with the hosts sitting in 11th while the visitors are 12th heading into this match.
Match preview
After enduring a tough start to the campaign, Alanyaspor turned the tides in December, which has now seen them rise to 11th place in the Turkish Super Lig standings.
From their first 13 league outings, Alanyaspor earned just 10 points and only managed two victories, but Fatih Tekke, who took charge in early November, has inspired an eye-catching turnaround, as they have now earned more points in their last five matches then they did in the first 13.
Following a run of three straight top-flight victories over Istanbulspor, Besiktas and Samsunspor, Tekke's side looked to extend their winning run but could only manage a goalless draw against Antalyaspor last time out.
However, the draw saw them extend their unbeaten run to five matches in the league and six in all competitions, which included a 1-0 win over Kocaelispor to advance into the fifth round of the Turkish Cup.
Next up is the task of facing off against an opposing outfit who they have beaten nine times in 13 attempts, including three consecutive home wins.
Ankaragucu lost 1-0 to Trabzonspor last time out, which was their first defeat since November 10, but also their fifth league match without a win.
Emre Belozoglu's men have won just once since the start of December, a 3-1 victory over Iskenderun in the Turkish Cup, while sharing the spoils in every other game within that period until last weekend.
The Ankara-based outfit won 2-0 in their last meeting with Tuesday's hosts, and this might serve as a confidence booster for them as they look to stop their winless run.
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- L
Team News
Alanyaspor may opt to deploy an unchanged starting XI from the draw against Antalyaspor, with Loide Augusto unable to come in having gone on international duty with Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Veteran Efecan Karaca should again get the nod to lead the line, while Leroy Fer and Richard will continue to partner up in the engine room.
Thirty-one-year-old Tolga Cigerci is out of contention for the eighth Ankaragucu game in a row as he continues to nurse a thigh problem, while Alper Uludag is also sidelined with a knee injury.
Gambian forward Ali Sowe and Cape Verdean winger Garry Rodrigues are currently on international duty at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and will not play any part for the visitors here.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Hadergjonaj, Lima, Aliti, Balkovec; Richard, Fer; Aydin, Novais, Ozdemir; Karaca
Ankaragucu possible starting lineup:
Gungordu; Hanousek, Mujakic, Radakovic, Cankaya; Guneren, Pedrinho; Morutan, Bekiroglu, Cephas; Macheda
We say: Alanyaspor 2-1 Ankaragucu
Alanyaspor are in a good moment and we expect them to carry on against Ankaragucu on Tuesday. The visitors have both history and current form against them heading into this fixture, which is why we expect the hosts to get the job done at the end of 90 minutes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
