A direct showdown for fourth place in the Turkish Super Lig takes centre stage on Friday as Eyupspor host Besiktas at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
The home side currently occupy fourth place, but with just a two-point cushion over their opponents, a defeat would see them drop out of the top four.
Match preview
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Eyupspor's maiden top-flight campaign has been nothing short of remarkable, as they continue to surpass expectations and remain firmly in the hunt for European qualification.
However, since the departure of star forward Ahmed Kutucu to Galatasaray in January, their attacking fluency has suffered, which has affected results.
Breaking down well-organised defences has become a significant challenge for Arda Turan's side, as highlighted by last weekend's 1-1 draw against Kayserispor, a match where neither team impressed in attack.
Eyupspor are now winless in their last two league outings (one draw, one defeat), putting their grip on fourth place in jeopardy, and another setback on Friday would see them slip out of the European places, making this clash all the more pivotal.
The omens are not in their favour, either, as Besiktas have dominated this fixture historically, winning all seven previous meetings across all competitions, including their first-ever top-flight encounter earlier this season.
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Meanwhile, Besiktas are gathering momentum at the right time – the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has injected fresh energy into their campaign, with the Norwegian overseeing an encouraging start to his tenure.
Since his arrival, the Black Eagles have drawn 1-1 with Antalyaspor, claimed a 2-0 victory over Sivasspor, and secured a hard-fought 2-1 win against Trabzonspor.
With confidence growing, Besiktas will travel to Eyupspor, aiming to break into the top four with another crucial victory, and with a respectable away form, they can be optimistic.
The visitors boast the sixth-best record in the league. However, it could have been even better had they converted some of their joint-league-high six away draws into wins.
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Team News
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Eyupspor remain without Recep Niyaz, Sinan Gumus and Leo Dubois, who are all sidelined with injuries and will miss this clash.
Fredrik Midtsjo and Taskin Ilter will also continue their long-term recoveries and are unavailable for the rest of the season.
Besiktas, meanwhile, will be without Emrecan Terzi and Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov, both of whom are sidelined due to injuries.
Necip Uysal and Gabriel Paulista remain long-term absentees and are not expected to return until March 2025.
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Erkin, Yalcin, Claro, Vezo; Stepanenko, Kabasakal; Ampem, Mor, Akbunar; Thiam
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Masuaku, Uduokhai, Topcu, Svensson; Fernandes, Hadziahmetovic; Mario, Rafa, Rashica; Immobile
We say: Eyupspor 1-2 Besiktas
Both sides have struggled defensively in recent weeks, but Besiktas have looked more structured attacking wise in recent weeks under Solskjaer.
With their superior experience and form, the Black Eagles are slight favourites, and we are predicting a slight win for the visitors here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
