The Turkish Super Lig continues on Saturday morning as Alanyaspor welcome Kayserispor to the Bahcesehir Okullari Arena.
Both sides have 36 points after 29 matches and are separated by a spot, with the hosts in 12th while the visitors are 13th.
Match preview
Alanyaspor appear to have turned a corner, picking up a 2-1 victory over Sivasspor at the Yeni Sivas 4 Eylul Stadium last Saturday to make it two wins in a row.
Fatih Tekke's side were winless in six consecutive matches from late January to late February, with the win over Trabzonspor on March 4 being their first since January 20.
Ahmed Mahgoub gave Alanyaspor the lead four minutes into the second half, but their advantage was short-lived as Rey Manaj restored parity for Sivasspor in the 64th minute.
However, Oguz Aydin scored his third goal in two games to secure all three points for Alanya, taking them to 12th place in the table. They are now six points clear of the relegation zone, improving their chances of staying in the Super Lig for another season.
Next in line for them is Kayserispor, a side they lost to earlier this season, but whom they have beaten 10 times in 19 encounters, losing six times and drawing three.
Tekke will also be confident heading into this fixture due to their home record against Saturday's opponents, having won six out of eight home games against them.
After starting the season in brilliant fashion, Kayserispor saw their season take a turn for the worse in December when they recorded eight defeats in a row.
However, the appointment of Burak Yilmaz steadied the ship somewhat after Recep Ucar was sacked following the poor run.
Victories over Istanbul Basaksehir and Ankaragucu in February suggested Kayserispor were finally finding their groove back, but they have now failed to win in their last two games.
A 3-0 loss to Caykur Rizespor was followed by a 1-1 draw with Hatayspor last time out, leaving them just six points above the relegation zone.
With the season nearing its end, Yilmaz will hope his side can put together a solid run to aid their survival hopes, starting from this weekend's trip to Alanyaspor.
Team News
Alanyaspor will be without Loide Augusto, who is out with a muscle injury until late March.
Ahmed Hassan Koka should lead the line for Alanya again, with Efecan Karaca providing support behind the striker.
Leroy Fer and Richard Coelho should be the pair at the base of midfield, protecting the defence and linking the attack.
Kayserispor defender Arif Kocaman was sent off against Hatayspor and is suspended for Saturday's clash with Joseph Attamah expected to take his place.
Right-back Gokhan Sazdagi will also miss the game due to accumulated yellow cards, giving space to Hasan Ali Kaldirim in the starting lineup.
Long-term injuries to both Anthony Uzodimma and Majid Hosseini have kept the pair out for a number of games, and they will both remain on the sidelines for this match.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Balkovec, Aliti, Lima, Hadergjonaj; Fer, Richard; Aydin, Karaca, Ozdemir; Koka
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Kaldirim, Kolovetsios, Attamah, Carole; Yilmaz, Bourabia; Civelek, Karimi, Cardoso; Nazon
We say: Alanyaspor 1-0 Kayserispor
Alanyaspor have dominated their home meetings with Kayserispor, only failing to win twice in the eight times they have hosted this fixture. The hosts are also coming into this game on the back of two successive victories. We expect a close game but Alanya should edge it in the end.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
