Alanyaspor will host Istanbul Basaksehir at the Bahcesehir School Arena on Saturday, aiming to maintain their impressive home form against the visitors.
Meanwhile, Basaksehir, fresh from a morale-boosting win, will be looking to secure consecutive Turkish Super Lig victories for the first time since early December.
Match preview
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Alanyaspor endured a setback in their last outing, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Eyupspor, which brought an end to their four-match unbeaten run in the league.
Since Sami Ugurlu took charge on November 7, the team has made notable progress, climbing from 15th to 11th place with 22 points after three wins and three draws in eight league matches.
Despite this improvement, Alanyaspor remain wary of relegation, as only six points separate them from the bottom four with just over half of the campaign completed.
However, their impressive home form has been a cornerstone of their resurgence under Ugurlu – the team has won all three of their league games under his management at the Bahcesehir School Arena, extending their winning streak at home to five matches across all competitions.
Historically, Alanyaspor have fared well at home in this fixture, where they have won four of eight meetings and are unbeaten in the last seven – notably, they have claimed victory in the previous two encounters on this ground.
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On the other hand, Istanbul Basaksehir will be determined to overcome their struggles on the road, having lost more than half of their away league fixtures this season, and secured just one win in their last nine away matches across all competitions.
That lone victory came in their recent league trip to Adana Demirspor – however, their dismal record at the Bahcesehir School Arena, with just one win in history, will be a concern for Cagdas Atan's side.
Basaksehir's recent 2-0 triumph over Caykur Rizespor provided a much-needed confidence boost, but consistency has been elusive for the visitors who began the season brightly.
The Grey Owls were unbeaten in their opening 10 matches across all competitions, featuring eight wins, but they have since struggled to string together a five-match unbeaten streak.
While a return to European competition remains within reach, their 29 points from 19 matches leave them five points adrift of fourth-placed Goztepe.
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Team News
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Alanyaspor's only injury concern is Buluthan Bulut, whose return date remains uncertain – however, his absence is unlikely to disrupt Ugurlu's plans.
The head coach is expected to stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sergio Cordova leading the line and Nicolas Janvier operating as the playmaker in a supporting trio.
Basaksehir, meanwhile, are dealing with several absentees ahead of this clash, with Serdar Gurler sidelined, while new signing Christopher Operi is unavailable due to a knee problem.
Leo Duarte and Patryk Szysz are also ruled out through injury, and Onur Ergun is suspended following an accumulation of yellow cards.
On a brighter note, the league's top scorer, Krzysztof Piatek, is set to return to the starting XI after serving a suspension in the previous match.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Hadergjonaj, Aliti, Lima, Ozdemir; Makouta, Richard; Karaca, Janvier, Augusto; Cordova
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Ba, Opoku, Gureler; Turuc, Ozdemir, Crespo, Kemen, Davidson; Piatek, Keny
We say: Alanyaspor 2-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Alanyaspor's strong home form gives them the edge, but with Piatek returning to the XI, Basksehir should post more threat in attack, which is why we are predicting a win for the hosts, but expecting it to be a closely fought encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
