Two sides looking to bounce back from recent defeats in the Turkish Super Lig go head-to-head on Monday as Gaziantep host Eyupspor at the Gaziantep Stadium
This marks only the second-ever top-flight meeting between the two clubs, with Eyupspor emerging victorious in the reverse fixture earlier this season, edging a thrilling 3-2 contest.
Match preview
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Gaziantep's away-day woes persisted last time out as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Trabzonspor, extending their winless run on the road across all competitions to 11 matches, 10 of which have been in the Super Lig.
That result also marked GFK's third loss in their last four league outings, leaving them with just one win in their last five Super Lig matches, the other result being a draw.
Selcuk Inan's side have seen their cushion over the relegation zone shrink to just five points, increasing the urgency to arrest their slump when they return to home soil on Monday.
Home form has been the backbone of Gaziantep's campaign, with their points tally at the Gaziantep Stadium ranking among the top five in the division, although recent weeks have seen a dip in momentum with just one win from their last three league matches at home.
That downturn extended into the Turkish Cup in midweek where they were comprehensively beaten 4-1 by Fenerbahce, the first time they had conceded more than one goal at home since a 3-0 league defeat to Alanyaspor in April 2024.
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Eyupspor will be aiming to pile further misery on Gaziantep, having historically had the upper hand in this fixture, winning both of their previous encounters, one in a friendly and the other in the Super Lig.
However, Arda Turan's men are also enduring a difficult spell with their 3-1 defeat to Besiktas last Friday extending their winless streak in the league to three matches, two losses and a draw.
Their struggles extend across all competitions, having now gone five matches without a win, including a goalless draw at home to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Cup last Thursday.
This dip in form has hindered Eyupspor's European aspirations, with the team slipping to fifth place, one point behind Besiktas who climbed into fourth, and as a result, Turan has been forced to recalibrate his expectations, recently admitting that a top-eight finish would now be a good outcome.
Eyupspor's away form has been inconsistent, though they enjoyed a solid run between October and January, losing just once in six matches on the road with three wins and two draws, but their fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in February with back-to-back away defeats in both league and cup competitions.
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Team News
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Gaziantep head coach Inan has a full squad at his disposal, with no injury or suspension concerns ahead of Monday's clash.
Congolese right-back Salem M'Bakata has recovered from injury and will be pushing for a place in the starting XI.
Eyupspor, on the other hand, will be without Robin Yalcin, who is suspended, meaning Ruben Vezo is set to start at centre-back while Tayfur Bingol fills in at right-back.
The visitors also have several players sidelined through injury, with Melih Kabasakal, Recep Niyaz, Sinan Gumus and Leo Dubois all unavailable.
Fredrik Midtsjo and Taskin Ilter remain long-term absentees and have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Bozan; M'Bakata, Viana, Kizildag, Husic; Daubin, Ndiaye; Okereke, Maxim, Kozlowski; Dervisoglu
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Erkin, Vezo, Claro, Bingo; Stepanenko, Kayan; Ampem, Mor, Akbunar; Thiam
We say: Gaziantep 2-1 Eyupspor
Gaziantep have been far stronger at home than on their travels, and while the same can be said for Eyupspor, their difference in theirs is not as pronounced.
GFK have dropped points in only five home matches this season, winning seven, and aside from their draw with Bodrum, the only teams to take points off them at the Gaziantep Stadium have been sides clearly superior to them, a category the visitors do not currently fall into, which is why we believe the hosts have the edge in this encounter.
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