Two newly promoted sides on contrasting paths in this season's Turkish Super Lig will lock horns as Bodrumspor welcome Goztepe SK in round 23.
The hosts are navigating their maiden top-flight campaign after securing promotion via the playoffs, while Goz Goz returned to the division following a second-place finish in the 2023-24 TFF 1. Lig.
Match preview
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Standing as an outlier among the newly promoted sides, Bodrumspor have struggled to establish themselves in the top flight in a season where fellow entrants Eyuspor and Monday's opponents Goztepe have thrived.
While their counterparts set their sights on a continental push, the Mugla-based outfit are entrenched in a relegation scrap, their campaign marred by prolonged winless spells briefly punctuated by fleeting victories.
A tough start saw Bodrumspor suffer defeats in their opening two matches before clinching their first ever top-flight win in their third outing against Hatayspor, only to tumble back into uncertainty with two more losses.
Fikret Ozturk's men appeared to have steadied the ship with back-to-back victories, but a seven-game winless run followed, with a 2-1 triumph over Sivasspor in mid-December offering only a flicker of hope before yet another slump.
The Mugla outfit have now gone six Super Lig matches without a win, most recently succumbing to a 3-1 defeat against Konyaspor last weekend, leaving them 17th in the standings with 16 points from 21 matches — seven points adrift of safety.
Despite their league struggles, Bodrumspor have found some respite in the Turkish Cup, securing a 3-1 victory over Antalyaspor in their latest outing to snap a seven-game winless run across all competitions.
Looking to carry that momentum into Monday's clash, the hosts can take encouragement from their home form, having claimed 11 of their 16 top-flight points at Bodrum Ilce Stadium.
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Like Bodrumspor, Goztepe also halted a difficult run with a cup victory, edging Gaziantep 1-0 in midweek to put an end to a streak of consecutive defeats — both in the league.
During that rough spell, Goz Goz fell short in a thrilling contest at Fenerbahce (3-2) before being beaten by Alanyaspor (1-0) last weekend, marking their first loss at Gursel Aksel Stadium this season.
Despite these setbacks, Stanimir Stoilov's men have impressed since their Super Lig return, sitting fifth in the standings with 34 points, five behind the Conference League qualification spot.
Eager to bounce back and close the gap on the European places, Goztepe aim to complete a top-flight double over Bodrumspor for the first time, having emerged 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture at the Aksel in August in what was their maiden meeting in this competition.
However, Goz Goz's underwhelming record in Bodrum raises doubts over their chances, with no victories in three previous visits — all in the second tier — including a draw and two consecutive defeats.
Further clouding Goztepe's hopes is their poor away form this season, having collected just six points from a possible 30, leaving them as the sixth-worst travellers in the division.
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Team News
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Bodrumspor remain without Haqi Osman (thigh) and Suleyman Ozdamar (ankle), while Tunahan Akpinar and Mustafa Erdilman continue their recovery from ligament injuries.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old midfielder Musah Mohammed is suspended for this clash after accumulating one too many bookings following his yellow card against Konyaspor.
Goztepe have a longer injury list, with Taha Altikardes and Koray Gunter sidelined, paving the way for Furkan Bayir to start in defence.
Erdogan Yesilyurt, Emre Uzun and Isaac Solet have all been ruled out for the season with cruciate ligament injuries, while Chelsea recently recalled David Datro Fofana from his loan following a knee problem, which has sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign.
According to club sources, Romulo, Juan and January arrival Emersonn are also injured, forcing David Tijanic and Kuryu Matsuki to fill in as makeshift strikers.
On the bright side, Anthony Dennis returns to the starting XI after serving his suspension, having missed the previous encounter against Alanyaspor.
Bodrumspor possible starting lineup:
Sousa; Ergun, Celustka, Ajeti, Sen; Antalyali, Fredy; Okita, Bardhi, Bayrakdar; Puscas
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Bayir, Bokele, Heliton; Nielsen, Miroshi, Dennis, Silva; Hugo; Tijanic, Matsuki
We say: Bodrumspor 2-2 Goztepe SK
Goztepe have been the stronger side this season, but their poor away form remains a weakness, giving Bodrumspor — who have dominated this fixture — some hope, though given the hosts' struggles, a draw seems the likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
