Alanyaspor will resume their domestic campaign on Monday in search of their first win this year when they host Trabzonspor in Turkish Super Lig action at Kirbiyik Holding Stadium.
The club from south-west Turkey were beaten 4-1 last Wednesday by Kasimpasa, dropping them down into ninth in the table, while Trabzonspor moved to within two points of a European qualifying place thanks to a 3-0 triumph over Giresunspor.
Match preview
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A season after wowing the Turkish top flight with an exciting brand of up-tempo, attacking football, Francesco Farioli's men currently find themselves well behind a spot in Europe.
The 2021-22 Super Lig campaign saw this team reach new heights, finishing fifth in the table, their highest-ever position, though at the moment, they are six points back of that mark currently held by Trabzonspor, while Alanyaspor have played the most matches in the Turkish top flight.
The possession-based and aggressive style of play implemented by their young Italian manager has been a joy to watch, but it has come with its share of drawbacks.
On Wednesday, we saw some of those vulnerabilities as their direct attacking approach often left them short at the back, and Kasimpasa took advantage, notching four goals against them despite only having 29% of the ball.
Defending has not been the strong suit of this squad, with Alanyaspor conceding the third-most goals in the Super Lig this season (31) though they have been a little better at home, posting two clean sheets in their last four domestic affairs played in Alanya.
They have only dropped one competitive or friendly encounter at home since September, scoring three goals in each of their last two matches at Kirbiyik Holding Stadium.
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The reigning champions of Turkey have had their share of struggles away from home, without a domestic victory on the road since October.
Those struggles are currently separating them from potentially retaining their Super Lig crown, with their only three domestic defeats coming away from home, as they trail the leaders Galatasaray by seven points.
Abdullah Avci's men have dropped four points from winning positions in two of their previous three league fixtures away from home, ending 2022 with a 4-1 defeat at Faith Karagumruk.
In their title-winning campaign, Trabzonspor were tied for the fewest goals conceded (36), and while they are in the top five in that department so far this season, they have also given up a total of 11 goals in their previous five domestic affairs away from home.
If previous top-flight seasons mean anything, Trabzonspor might be a team to watch out for in 2023, as they have not lost more than two league games from January onwards in each of their last three domestic campaigns.
Coming into this encounter, they have lost only one of their last seven games versus Alanyaspor in the Super Lig and are unbeaten against them as the visiting team in three straight outings.
Team News
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Kouka kept his goalscoring streak alive last week as the man on loan from Olympiacos in Greece notched his fifth in five matches for Alanyaspor, while he, Yusuf Ozdemir and Efecan Karaca all found the back of the net when they defeated Kayserispor at home in December.
Runar Alex Runarsson has conceded seven goals in his last three domestic affairs, while Jure Balkovec is seeking his first strike in league play since the end of October.
Shoya Nakajima is unlikely to play because of physical discomfort and Houssam Ghacha might not return until the middle of February from a hamstring strain.
Maxi Gomez and Dogucan Haspolat each scored in a 3-0 victory for Trabzonspor on Thursday, with the winner coming courtesy of an own goal by Giresunspor's Riad Bajic as Ugurcan Cakir collected his fifth clean sheet of the campaign.
Abdulkadir Omur has three goals in his career versus Alanyaspor, while Dorukhan Tokoz is the only current squad member who scored in their 4-0 victory against them on the road last season.
Serkan Asan and Tokoz could miss this encounter because of meniscus injuries, and Edin Visca might be sidelined until mid-February with a sprained shoulder.
Huseyin Turkmen is out until late March due to a sore Achilles tendon, while Gomez will not be available after being booked in their previous encounter.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Runarsson; Pereira, Fer, Bayir; Ozdemir, Ferhat, Gunes, Candeias; Cavaleiro, Bekiroglu; Hassan
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Larsen, Gbamin, Hugo, Elmali; Hamsik; Omur, Haspolat, Bardhi; Trezeguet, Unuvar
We say: Alanyaspor 1-2 Trabzonspor
Aside from a rough outing at the end of 2022, Trabzonspor have been in fine form and consistently earning results, while Alanyaspor have been a little unpredictable, particularly along the backline, something the visitors should be able to exploit.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
