Samsunspor will travel to face Istanbul Basaksehir at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Saturday, aiming to complete a historic Turkish Super Lig double over their hosts.
The visitors have been in fine form this season and secured a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture, marking their first-ever top-flight win against the Grey Owls.
Match preview
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Istanbul Basaksehir were involved in one of the most dramatic games of the campaign but ultimately fell to a 5-4 defeat at Alanyaspor, their second loss in three league matches.
The Grey Owls twice came from behind in the first half to level at 2-2 going into the break, and they then took the lead just before the hour mark but conceded in the 80th minute, seemingly settling for a draw.
However, the game took another twist as Alanyaspor netted twice in stoppage time, first from open play in the 90th minute and then from the penalty spot in the 96th, although Basaksehir responded with a penalty of their own a minute later but could not find a dramatic equaliser.
Manager Cagdas Atan will be frustrated with his team's defensive frailties, as the loss has further dented their top-four ambitions, as they now sit seventh, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Eyupspor.
In previous seasons, Basaksehir would have been confident of bouncing back against Samsunspor, having won three of their four top-flight meetings before this campaign.
However, their defeat in the reverse fixture and the visitors' impressive form make the hosts underdogs heading into this encounter.
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Samsunspor will look to justify their newfound status as favourites, and having claimed their first-ever Super Lig win against Basaksehir earlier this season, securing the double would be a significant achievement.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last five league matches, winning three and drawing two – their latest outing saw them edge past Gaziantep 2-1, maintaining their position in third place with 40 points—four ahead of fourth-placed Eyupsor and eight behind second-placed Fenerbahce.
A key factor in Samsunspor's success has been their strong performances on the road, with the Red Lightning ranked third in the away table, collecting 20 points from a possible 30.
However, their recent away form has been slightly concerning, with just one win in their last five trips, alongside two draws and two defeats.
Team News
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Basaksehir will be without Ousseynou Ba, who is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, likely opening the door for Hamza Gureler to slot into the back three.
New signing Christopher Operi remains sidelined with a knee issue, while Patryk Szysz is also unavailable due to injury.
Krzysztof Piatek, who bagged a brace in his last outing, leads the Super Lig scoring charts with 15 goals and will be keen to add to his tally.
Samsunspor will be without Landry Diamata, who is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards, while Emre Kilinc remains out through injury.
On a positive note for the visitors, Rick van Drongelen returns to the starting XI after serving a suspension last time out.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Duarte, Opoku, Gureler; Beyaz, Ozdemir, Crespo, Kemen, Turuc; Piatek, Keny
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Bola, Satka, Drongelen, Yavru; Ntcham, Bennasser; Schindler, Holse, Muja; Mouandilmadji
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-1 Samsunspor
Samsunspor's strong form means they are the favourites for this clash – however, their recent away form suggests that this game could be a close one, which is why we are predicting a stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
