Kayserispor will continue their quest to climb out of the bottom four when they host high-flying Samsunspor in round 19 of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
The Anatolian Star missed the chance to secure a crucial win in their relegation six-pointer against Bodrumspor last time out, settling for a 1-1 draw.
Match preview
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Optimism was high in the Kayserispor camp as they looked to start the new year with a victory, especially after Stephane Bahoken's first-half strike put them ahead against Bodrumspor – however, Cenk Sen's second-half equalizer dashed those hopes, forcing the Anatolian Star to share the spoils.
It has been a tough season for Sinan Kaloglu's side, who find themselves entrenched in another relegation battle after narrowly escaping the drop by just two points last season.
Now tasked with ending a three-match winless streak, Kayserispor face an uphill battle against one of the league's top performers on the road.
Their struggles at home have been evident, with just one win and three draws in eight matches at the Kadir Has Stadium, compared to two wins and four draws in nine away fixtures.
The last competitive meeting between the sides saw Kayserispor fall to a 2-0 defeat, but they can take some encouragement from their 2-1 home victory in the previous encounter at this venue.
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Meanwhile, Samsunspor have shown their ability to deliver crucial wins despite losing some early-season consistency, as evidenced by the hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Trabzonspor last weekend, which ended a two-match winless run and provided a positive start to the year.
However, Thomas Reis's men must address their recent dip in away form – after winning their first five away matches, the Red Lightning have managed only a draw and two losses in their last such three outings—a significant drop that has impacted their pursuit of the top two.
Currently sitting in third, Samsunspor find themselves three points ahead of fourth-placed Eyupspor but six points adrift of second-placed Fenerbahce.
Notably, Samsunspor's record at Kayserispor's ground is less than stellar, with their only competitive victory at this venue coming in 2004, a streak they will be eager to break this weekend.
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Team News
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Kayserispor remain without key defender Majid Hosseini, who continues his recovery from a serious ankle injury.
Arif Kocaman is also unavailable as he struggles to return from his own ankle issue – however, there is good news for the hosts, as Mehdi Bourabia returns to the squad after serving a suspension in the last match.
For Samsunspor, Reis has the luxury of a fully fit squad, with no suspensions or injuries to deal with.
Rick van Drongelen is set to return to the starting XI after serving a suspension against Trabzonspor, likely pushing Yunus Cift to the bench.
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Piri; Sazdagi, Kolovetsios, Jeanvier, Kaldirim; Attamhah, Gezek; Cardoso, Yilmaz, Boa Morte; Bahoken
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Van Drongelen, Gonul; Yuksel, Bennasser; Kilinc, Holse, Schindler; Mouandilmadji
We say: Kayserispor 1-1 Samsunspor
Kayserispor's home struggles and Samsunspor's recent dip on the road suggest a tight encounter, with both sides likely to cancel each other out.
With Kayserispor's recent resilience and Samsunspor's attacking quality, the game is likely going to result in an evenly matched draw at the Kadir Has Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
