Struggling Kayserispor are set to host reigning champions and current Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray at the Kadir Has Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Having narrowly avoided relegation last season, the Anatolian Star find themselves in a similarly precarious position this campaign, and desperately in need of a turnaround, their prospects of revival appear bleak as they prepare to face the league's only unbeaten side.
Match preview
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After failing to secure a win in their opening six league matches, Kayserispor's hierarchy opted for a managerial change in October in an effort to reverse their fortunes, and while the decision initially seemed to pay dividends, the resurgence has since faltered in recent weeks.
Sinan Kaloglu's appointment sparked a five-match unbeaten run, featuring the team's first wins of the campaign alongside three draws. However, that momentum was halted by a heavy 6-2 defeat against Fenerbahce.
Since then, Kayserispor have endured a difficult spell, losing three of their last four matches, and these setbacks have plunged the Anatolian Star back into the relegation zone, sitting 16th in the standings with 15 points from as many matches, just one point and one position adrift of safety.
A 2-0 defeat away to Antalyaspor marked their latest disappointment in a dismal season for the Kayseri-based outfit, and hosting an in-form Galatasaray side next offers little promise of immediate recovery.
Nevertheless, Kayserispor have shown a knack for elevating their performance in this particular fixture in recent years, having won two and drawn one of their last three home games against the Lions, the most recent being a goalless stalemate in August 2023.
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For Galatasaray, manager Okan Buruk will hope that off-field tensions with Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech do not disrupt what has been an otherwise stellar campaign.
Ziyech, frustrated with his role, has publicly criticised Buruk as being of "low level" and has announced his intention to leave the Super Lig champions in January, requesting to be left out of the squad.
The fallout comes in the wake of a dramatic 4-3 victory over rivals Trabzonspor at Rams Park, which kept Galatasaray unbeaten and preserved their six-point lead at the summit of the league table.
Adding to the intrigue, is the possible return of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from injury ahead of Sunday's encounter, offering a timely boost for the Lions, who despite their impressive run, have recently struggled to win games comfortably.
Galatasaray's last two defeats came in August during the Champions League qualifiers, where they suffered home and away losses to BSC Young Boys, ultimately dropping into the Europa League for the 2024-25 season, and since then, they have been in imperious form, winning 16 and drawing five of their last 21 matches across all competitions.
Team News
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Midfielder Arif Kocaman and goalkeeper Bilal Bayazit, who have both picked up ankle injuries, are the latest players to be sidelined for Kayserispor.
Centre-back Majid Hosseini, who is yet to fully recover from a knee injury, is doubtful for Sunday's clash, though the hosts will welcome back Kartal Yilmaz and Gokhan Sazdag from suspension after both players missed the game against Antalyaspor due to accumulated yellow cards.
Kaloglu is likely to revert to a back five for the visit of the champions, with Lionel Carole, Julian Jeanvier and Joseph Attamah the likely candidates for the centre-back roles.
For the visitors, Hungarian midfielder Roland Sallai is suspended after crossing the threshold for accumulated number of yellow cards.
With Mauro Icardi still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, talismanic striker Osimhen will hope to make an immediate return to the starting XI after recovering from an injury he picked up in the win over Sivasspor.
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Piri; Sazdagi, Attamhah, Jeanvier, Carole, Kaldirim; Karimi, Gezek, Bourabia; Boa Morte, Bahoken
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Kutlu, Bardakci, Ayhan, Jelert; Torreira, Sara; Akgun, Mertens, Yilmaz; Osimhen
We say: Kayserispor 1-2 Galatasaray
Considering Kayserispor's recent results at home in this fixture, and their tendency to turn up under the new manager, this is a tricky one for Galatasaray.
However, with the return of Osimhen, the visitors have more firepower, and we believe that will be enough to help them secure the win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
