Matchday 37 of the 2023-24 Turkish Super Lig season sees Antalyaspor and Adana Demirspor clash at the New Antalya Stadium on Friday.
Both teams come into this one after defeats in their last outings and will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend.
Match preview
Antalyaspor suffered a third consecutive defeat last Sunday, falling 3-1 to Kasimpasa at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
With 45 points from 36 games so far, the Scorpions sit 10th in the standings, one place and one point above their upcoming opponents.
The Antalya outfit have already surpassed their points total from last season and will be aiming for a top-half finish, something that eluded them in the previous campaign.
Avoiding a fourth consecutive defeat and successive home losses is the next step towards achieving this goal, but a run of three straight losses against Friday's visitors makes this a tricky encounter.
Adana Demirspor were thrashed 6-1 by relegation-threatened Gaziantep at the 5 Ocak Fatih Terim Stadium last Sunday, and their misery was compounded by playing most of the game with ten men following Mario Balotelli's red card for a second bookable offence.
The Blue Lightnings have been unable to replicate last season's success, as a poor run of just two wins in 19 matches between November and mid-March saw them drop from the top four into mid-table obscurity.
This abysmal run resulted in the dismissal of manager Patrick Kluivert, which saw Serkan Damla take charge for seven matches before the eventual hiring of current boss Hikmet Karaman.
Unfortunately for Adana Demirspor, those managerial changes have yielded little improvement in form, as they have managed just three victories in the 15 games under Karaman.
A major reason for their struggles this season has been their inability to win on the road, picking up just one win, ten draws and seven losses away from home.
However, Adana's only win on the road came in their last away game against the league's bottom club, Istanbulspor. They have an opportunity to secure back-to-back away victories for the first time this season and will fancy their chances against a side they have historically dominated.
Team News
Antalyaspor will be without Erdogan Yesilyurt, as he serves a one-match ban for the red card he received in the loss to Kasimpasa.
The hosts will also be without the services of Turkish midfielder Bunyamin Balci, who is still battling with an ankle problem.
The visitors also have a man suspended, as Balotelli will have to sit this one out after his dismissal in the loss to Gaziantep.
Twenty-one-year old Turkish striker, Yusuf Barasi, should get an opportunity to play from the start following Balotelli's absence.
Reserve goalkeeper Vedat Karakus is doubtful for this clash as he looks to recover in time from a muscle injury.
Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:
Leite; Vural, Toprak, Naldo, Sari; Uzun, Kaluzinski, Akyol, Larsson; Assombalonga, Safuri
Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Mahammadaliyev; Cokcalis, Manev, Gravillon, Mohammadi; Michut, Aydogan; Mendoza, Maestro, Erdogan; Barasi
We say: Antalyaspor 1-1 Adana Demirspor
Adana Demirspor have a great record against Antalyaspor but their struggles on the road this season is well documented. The hosts are on a poor run right now but the visitors' poor away run might see the home side get something from this.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
