Galatasaray's hold on the top spot in the Turkish Super Lig is looking increasingly uncertain, and they will be eager to steady the ship when they face Alanyaspor on Sunday.
Having dropped four points in their last two matches with back-to-back draws, Cimbom now sit just four points clear of second-placed Fenerbahce.
Match preview
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The pressure is mounting on both Galatasaray's title defence and manager Okan Buruk, as the team's recent dip in form continues to raise concerns.
Galatasaray have failed to win any of their last four competitive matches, a run that began with a 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, followed by a goalless stalemate with Fenerbahce in the league and a similar result against Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup.
However, the most painful of these results was arguably the recent 3-3 draw with Kasimpasa, where Buruk's side squandered the lead twice, conceding a late equaliser in the 85th minute.
A few weeks ago, a match against Alanyaspor might have seemed like a straightforward win for Galatasaray, given their historical dominance in this fixture, including four consecutive league victories.
However, the current version of Galatasaray is proving hard to predict, despite their unbeaten league record after 25 games, but the return of Alvaro Morata from injury will bolster their attack, alongside Victor Osimhen.
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On the other hand, Alanyaspor find themselves in a position where they simply need to maintain their current form to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Sami Ugurlu's side are seven points clear of the drop zone and have managed three wins in their last seven league matches, though they have lost the other four, including a 3-1 defeat to Rizespor last time out.
Alanyaspor's home form has been a key factor in their campaign, with 50% of their games at the Bahcesehir School Arena ending in victory, while they have lost just three times at home this season, with only one of those defeats coming in their last six matches, during which they have secured five wins.
That said, their defence has shown signs of vulnerability, conceding at least two goals in each of their last three home games, and this could prove problematic against a Galatasaray side set to welcome back key attacking players.
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Team News
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Alanyaspor will be without Buluthan Bulut, who is sidelined with an injury, but otherwise have a full squad to choose from.
Nuno Lima and Florent Hadergjonaj have served their suspensions and are expected to return to the starting line-up.
For Galatasaray, Mauro Icardi remains unavailable due to a cruciate ligament injury and will not feature until next season.
Ismail Jakobs is still struggling with an Achilles issue, meaning Yunus Akgun is likely to start at left wing-back.
With Morata back to full fitness, Buruk is expected to revert to a two-striker system, adding further firepower to Galatasaray's attack.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Karagoz; Hadergjonaj, Lima, Aliti, Ozdemir; Makouta, Richard; Cordova, Vilhena, Ui-Jo; Sporar
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Cuesta, Sanchez, Bardakci; Frankowski, Sara, Lemina, Torreira, Akgun; Osimhen, Morata
We say: Alanyaspor 2-4 Galatasaray
Keeping Galatasaray at bay is a monumental challenge for Alanyaspor, and with the visitors bolstering their attacking options for this clash, the task becomes even more daunting.
While both sides have shown defensive vulnerabilities in recent weeks, we expect Galatasaray's added firepower to prove decisive, allowing them to outscore the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
