Two teams with contrasting ambitions in the Turkish Super Lig will face off when Konyaspor hosts Samsunspor at Torku Arena on Sunday.
The hosts are fighting to avoid the drop, with only four points separating them from the relegation zone, while the visitors aim to solidify their position as European contenders.
Match preview
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Konyaspor's recent momentum was halted last Saturday when they suffered a 3-2 defeat at Kayserispor in a crucial relegation battle, ending their two-match winning streak across all competitions.
Recep Ucar's men saw their cushion over the bottom three shrink to just four points, leaving them at risk of a repeat of last season's struggles, where they narrowly avoided relegation by a single point.
However, the Anatolian Eagles will take confidence from their strong home form as they return to Torku Arena – since September 2024, Konyaspor has lost just once at home in 11 matches across all competitions—their only blemish in their last nine Super Lig home games being a 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce in January.
History also favors Konyaspor in this fixture, as they have won nine of their 14 home meetings against the visitors, and are unbeaten in the last 10 Super Lig encounters between the two sides, winning six of them.
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Samsunspor, however, will be eager to break that streak as they enter this contest in better overall form this season.
The Red Lightning boast the third-best away record in the Super Lig this season, though their performances on the road have dipped in recent weeks.
Thomas Reis's side has managed just one win in their last six away matches, suffering three defeats and settling for two draws – their most recent trip ended in a humbling 4-0 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir.
Samsunspor bounced back with a 2-0 home victory over Hatayspor last time out, restoring their four-point advantage over fourth-placed Eyupspor and strengthening their bid for a Europa League spot.
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Team News
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Konyaspor will be without Emmanuel Boateng, who was sent off in the closing stages of the defeat to Kayserispor.
On the injury front, Melih Ibrahimoglu is sidelined alongside Filip Damjanovic, while Pedrinho is doubtful for Sunday's clash.
Samsunspor, on the other hand, has no injury concerns, giving Thomas Reis a full squad to choose from.
Following an impressive performance against Hatayspor, few changes are expected in the starting XI, with standout performers Celil Yuksel and Landry Dimata likely to retain their places ahead of more established names.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Slowik; Boranijasevic, Demirbag, Bazoer, Guilherme; Jevtovic, Ulgun; Keyta, Aleksic, Ndao; Kramer
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Bola, Satka, Drongelen, Yavru; Yuksel, Bennasser; Dimata, Holse, Kilinic; Mouandilmadji
We say: Konyaspor 1-1 Samsunspor
Konyaspor's strong home form and dominance in this fixture should count for something despite Samsunspor arriving in better shape and form.
We expect a tight contest, with the hosts relying on defensive solidity while the visitors push forward, ultimately ending in a stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
