High-flying Eyupspor will aim to continue their remarkable debut Turkish Super Lig campaign when they face struggling Sivasspor at Eyup Stadi on Friday evening.
The hosts are fourth in the standings with 36 points from 20 outings, while the visitors are 13th in the table with just 23 points from their first 20 league games.
Match preview
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Eyupspor have enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years, securing the third division title in 2020-21 and brilliantly winning the second division title last season, marking their promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history.
Under the guidance of Arda Turan, who took over as manager in April 2023, Eyupspor have experienced a sensational first half of the 2024-25 campaign and are currently in contention to secure a European place.
They are placed fourth in the table with 36 points after 20 fixtures, from 10 wins, six draws and four defeats, leaving them just four points behind third-placed Samsunspor and two points above fifth-placed Goztepe.
Turan's men are heading into this one having recorded their best run of results of the term, winning all of their last four and remaining unbeaten in their past six across all competitions.
Not only will that give them major confidence, but their home form in the Turkish Super Lig - winning six, drawing two and losing only one of their nine home fixtures - will further boost their spirits prior to Friday's clash.
Sivasspor, in contrast, have endured a challenging 2024-25 season to date, currently sitting 13th in the table with just 23 points, nine clear of the relegation zone but 13 points away from the European spots.
That is a far cry from the seventh-placed finish that they achieved last term, where they narrowly missed out on European football by only seven points.
Bulent Uygun was sacked due to their poor placement in the Turkish Super Lig in December, departing the club after failing to win any of his last five games in charge, losing four and drawing one.
Omer Erdogan was hired as the new boss just five days later, and after being unable to lead the team to victory in his first four games - two losses and two draws - Sivasspor secured a fantastic 5-2 win against Kayserispor in their last match.
That victory will undoubtedly boost their belief heading into this match, though their away form this season, taking just seven points from nine league fixtures on the road, suggests they may struggle here.
Team News
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The hosts will remain without Fredrik Midtsjo for the remainder of the season due to a cruciate ligament injury, while Recep Niyaz is also out until March with a cruciate ligament issue.
With Eyupspor heading into this one unbeaten in their last six, including four consecutive victories, Turan is likely to name a similar starting side for this one.
As for Sivasspor, Alaaddin Okumus (groin), Jan Bieganski (muscle), Mehmet Albayrak (cruciate ligament) and Samba Camara (muscle) are all ruled out for this match due to injury.
On the back of a superb 5-2 win, ending their eight game winless run in the league, Erdogan could decide to field a similar starting team for this outing.
Rey Manaj scored two and assisted two in that match, and Sivasspor's top scorer is expected to lead the line in attack alongside Emrah Bassan and Efkan Bekiroglu.
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Vezo, Yalcin, Claro, Meras; Kabasakal, Bingol; Akbunar, Mor, Ampem; Thiam
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Radakovic, Sundberg, Ciftci; Moutoussamy, Cigerci, Charisis; Bassan, Manaj, Bekiroglu
We say: Eyupspor 2-1 Sivasspor
The hosts are undeniably enjoying the more successful campaign, and while Sivasspor willl be boosted by their recent win, Eyupspor have won all of their last four, and we believe they will come out victorious again here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
