Kayserispor will look to continue their revival under new manager Sergej Jakirovic when they welcome Goztepe SK to Kadir Has Stadium on Sunday.
The Anatolian Star are unbeaten in their three Turkish Super Lig matches under the Bosnian coach, recording two draws and one win.
Match preview
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Kayserispor parted ways with former manager Sinan Kaloglu towards the end of January as they battled relegation, and the decision has already begun to pay off.
While the Kayseri-based side remain in the drop zone, they are now just two points from safety, and victory here could lift them out of the bottom four—provided the result in this weekend's clash between Sivasspor and Konyaspor goes in their favour.
Jakirovic's men put in a solid display in their last league outing, earning a commendable 1-1 draw away at Eyupspor, restricting their high-flying opponents to just two shots on target.
Kayserispor now return to home soil, eager to improve their record at Kadir Has Stadium, where they have collected just 10 points from 11 matches; only one team has a worse home record in the league.
However, they did secure their second home league win of the season in their most recent match as hosts, a thrilling 3-2 victory over Konyaspor, which ended a three-game winless run in front of their own fans.
Having suffered a 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture, Kayserispor will be keen to exact revenge, and history favours them, as they are unbeaten in five top-flight meetings with Goztepe, winning three and drawing two. However, the last two encounters at Kadir Has Stadium ended in draws.
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Goztepe, meanwhile, will be determined to complete a first-ever league double over Kayserispor, but they arrive here in poor form.
Stanimir Stoilov's side are winless in three Super Lig outings, losing twice and drawing once, with their most recent fixture ending in a goalless draw at Bodrumspor last Monday.
Their away form has also been disappointing this season, collecting just seven points from a possible 33, with only one win on the road. They are currently on a five-game winless streak away from home in the Super Lig.
Goztepe's only victory at Kayserispor was over two decades ago in 2003, on their first-ever visit there, a 4-2 win in the second division.
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Team News
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Kayserispor will be without Anthony Uzodimma, Julian Jeanvier, Eray Ozbek and Arif Kocaman, who are all sidelined through injury.
Ramazan Civelek is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, but Hasan Ali Kaldirim and Stephane Bahoken return from suspension and are available for selection.
For Goztepe, Heliton is suspended after picking up one too many bookings, while Isaac Solet has suffered a cruciate ligament injury and will miss the remainder of the season.
Taha Altikardes and Koray Gunter are out with muscle injuries, while Romulo and Emerson are also unavailable due to injury concerns.
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Sazdagi, Kolovetsios, Atammah, Kaldirim; Ackah, Karimi, Yilmaz; Cardoso, Bahoken, Mane
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Bayir, Bokele, Gunter; Nielsen, Miroshi, Dennis, Silva; Tijanic; Juan, Matsuki
We say: Kayserispor 2-1 Goztepe SK
Kayserispor's resurgence under Jakirovic gives them the edge against a struggling Goztepe side, and with home advantage and a solid defensive display in recent weeks, the hosts should capitalise on their momentum for a win here.
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