A clash of two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig sees Fenerbahce host Samsunspor at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides head into this clash on the back of consecutive victories in the Turkish Cup and Super Lig, seeking to extend their winning streaks to fuel their contrasting ambitions.
Match preview
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Fenerbahce recorded a massive win to advance into the next round of the Turkish Cup on Wednesday, thrashing second-tier club Adanaspor 6-0 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, with Michy Batshuayi bagging a four-goal haul.
The Yellow Canaries also recorded a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Gaziantep in their last league outing to remain top of the Turkish Super Lig with 53 points, two points clear of second-placed Galatasaray.
The 2023-24 Super Lig title race has been a two-horse affair between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray since the first half of the season, with both clubs pulling clear of the chasing pack, but Ismail Kartal's side will now look to maintain the lead over their old foes when Samsunspor visit on Sunday.
Kartal's men are unbeaten in their last nine games across all competitions, while they have won their last four games, scoring an impressive 19 goals while conceding a mere two in those games.
Fenerbahce's title challenge has been fueled by their ruthless attack, which has plundered 57 goals in 20 league games so far - this is a staggering 19 more than their closest rivals, Galatasaray, who have netted the second-most goals in the Super Lig this season.
Samsunspor recorded a 3-1 win over Alanyaspor after extra time to secure a place in the next round of the Turkish Cup.
Markus Gisdol's men trailed by one goal until the 73rd minute when they restored parity courtesy of Muhammed Gumuskaya, before Soner Aydogdu and Muhammet Ali Ozbaskici scored in extra time to seal the victory.
Back in the league, the Red Lightnings returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Sivasspor in their last league outing, with first-half goals from Rick Van Drongelen and Carlo Holse securing the win.
Consequently, the Samsun-based team climbed to 15th in the Super Lig table with 21 points, one point above the drop zone.
Their next challenge is a baptism of fire away to the league leaders, and a positive result here seems far-fetched, not just because they face the table-toppers, but also because the Red Lightnings have been woeful on the road this season, picking up a measly four points from a possible 30 - the second-worst away record in the league.
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Team News
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Alexander Djiku and Bright Osayi-Samuel are unavailable for the hosts as they are both at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, representing Ghana and Nigeria respectively.
Miguel Crespo (back), Luan Peres (knee) and Serdar Aziz (muscle) are also out due to varying injuries, while Miha Zajc is a doubt owing to a muscle injury.
January signing Leonardo Bonucci is expected to take the place of the injured Aziz in the heart of defence.
Nanu, Olivier Ntcham and Kingsley Schindler are away on international duty, all representing their various countries at the Africa Cup of Nations, and are unavailable for the visitors.
Moryke Fofana (ankle) and Van Drongelen (groin) are sidelined with injuries, while Gaetan Laura remains a doubt for the clash.
Landry Dimata was sent off for a second bookable offence against Sivasspor, and will serve a one-match suspension.
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Muldur, Aziz, Oosterwolde, Kadioglu; Fred, Yuksek; Tadic, Szymanski, Under; Dzeko
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Tan, Satka, Ozturk, Gonul; Ait Bennasser, Antalyali; Holse, Kilinc, Gumuskaya; Mouandilmadji
We say: Fenerbahce 3-0 Samsunspor
Fenerbahce are outright favourites for this one as they will have too much for Samsunspor to handle. The Yellow Canaries have scored 57 goals in the league so far, which is a testament to their firepower.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
