Few teams in the Super Lig are enjoying stronger form than Antalyaspor of late and they will be keen to continue their positive performances when they visit Altay this weekend.
Languishing in the relegation zone, Altay will be on the lookout for three points in their bid to avoid the dreaded drop.
Match preview
Recent results have been nothing short of mixed for Altay, with their immediate form before the international break rescuing what had been a torrid run since the turn of the year.
Four defeats on the spin to kick 2022 off left Altay slouched in the relegation zone, with demotion to the second tier looking like a real possibility.
Since beating Goztepe in early February, Altay have only lost two of their next seven league outings, leaving their survival bid in a strong position.
A run of five games unbeaten from their previous seven games has acted as a confidence booster for Altay, as they look to return from the international break in strong form.
While their performances have impressed, it has not rivalled that of their weekend opponents with Antalyaspor sitting top of the five-game form table.
Four wins and one draw from their last five outings has seen them rocket up the table, with just two goals conceded during that time.
European qualification is not yet out of the question for Antalyaspor, with the gap between themselves and a continental berth eight points.
On top of this, Antalyaspor will take confidence from their record on the road having won three of the last six road trips.
An impressive victory in their last away game against 2019-20 champions Istanbul Basaksehir capped off a strong run of results on the road, with another victory on Saturday afternoon the target for Antalyaspor.
Should they manage to secure the three points, Antalyaspor will have to avenge a run of two consecutive goalless draws in head-to-head games with Altay.
For the hosts, their five-game unbeaten run against Antalyaspor will inspire the Great Altay, as they look to drag themselves out of the relegation zone.
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Team News
If Altay are to escape the drop, keeping their best players fit and out of trouble will be the main priority for manager Mustafa Denizli.
One player that will not feature during many of their run-in matches is Deniz Kadah, who is currently recovering from a muscle injury.
Similarly, Serge Arnaud Aka is suffering with a similar problem, but the midfielder is expected to return in early April.
The only other absentee for Denizli's Altay side will be Andre Biyogo Poko, who continues to serve a suspension.
Much like their weekend opponents, Antalyaspor are also without a number of key players, with Dogukan Sinik the most notable missing member of their squad.
Having played 48 times this season for Antalyaspor, the midfielder will not feature against Altay due to a suspension.
As far as injuries go for Antalyaspor, Admir Mehmedi is absent with a muscle injury, while Harun Alpsoy is also out with a slight niggle.
Altay possible starting lineup:
Lis; Naderi, Akca, Ozturk, Karayel; Yildirim, Thaciano; Kappel, Pinares, Rodriguez; Paixao
Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:
Boffin; Floranus, Sari, Gomes, Vural; Poli, Fernando; Ndao, Wright, Milosevic; Adriano
We say: Altay 1-1 Antalyaspor
Altay's time in the Super Lig is beginning to run out and they are hurtling towards the second tier, without any hopes of rescuing their position.
With only a handful of games remaining in the campaign, now would be the time for Altay to start picking up points, but it is likely to be a tough task against an in-form Antalyaspor side.
Top tip
Amos Murphy
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Altay win with a probability of 44.92%. A win for Antalyaspor had a probability of 29.5% and a draw had a probability of 25.6%.
The most likely scoreline for an Altay win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.42%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.12%) and 2-0 (7.82%). The likeliest Antalyaspor win was 0-1 (8.1%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.15%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 7.1% likelihood.
