Fresh from their success in the Golden Horn derby last time out, Kasimpasa will be aiming to extend their unbeaten streak to four matches in the Turkish Super Lig when they welcome pacesetters Fenerbahce to Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on Sunday night.
The hosts are enjoying a positive start to the 2023-24 term having lost just one of their opening seven matches, while Fenerbahce are the only side in the division to have their 100% league record in tact.
Match preview
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Kasimpasa made it back-to-back wins in the Super Lig for the first time this campaign as a 2-1 home victory against Adana Demirspor was followed by success in a five-goal thriller against local rivals Fatih Karagumruk last Sunday, although the visitors were made to work hard for their maximum at Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium.
The Apaches raced into a three-goal lead in the Golden Horn derby within the first 34 minutes courtesy of an own goal from Federico Ceccherini and a brilliant brace from Aytac Kara, with the defensive midfielder notching up his fourth and fifth goals of the league campaign during the hotly-contested clash.
Kemal Ozdes admitted that his side reverted to their natural instincts as they surrendered possession and protected a healthy advantage in the second period, and despite Stefano Sturaro netting Fatih's second of the match in the 88th minute, Kasimpasa were able to hold on for maximum points against their Istanbul enemies for the first time since February 2021.
A respectable tally of 12 points from their opening seven matches of the Super Lig term leaves Kasimpasa sixth in the league standings heading towards the season's second international pause, with Sunday's hosts potentially targeting a European place this season as they seek to improve on last campaign's 10th-placed finish.
Five-goal Kara has understandably stolen most of the headlines for the Apaches at the beginning of 2023-24, but the importance of the partnership between Mortadha Ben Ouannes and Claudio Winck on the right flank cannot be underestimated, with the pair providing five goals to date in the Super Lig.
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Fenerbahce's flawless start to the 2023-24 season continued in matchweek two of the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, with the Turkish giants surviving a late flurry of pressure from Spartak Trnava to win 2-1 in Slovakia, extending their lead at the top of Group H to three points over Nordsjaelland and Ludogorets Razgrad.
Former Bournemouth striker Joshua King has failed to nail down a regular place in his side's Super Lig XIs during the early stages of the term, but the Norwegian was in goalscoring form on the continent in the week, netting a quick-fire brace to assist the Yellow Canaries to an expected European maximum.
Since Ismail Kartal's side commenced their competitive action with a 5-0 thrashing of Zimbru in the second round of Conference League qualifying on July 26, Fenerbahce have enjoyed a 15-game winning run which includes two successes over Eredivisie high-flyers Twente and a victory over Istanbul Basaksehir.
Like their title rivals Galatasaray, the Yellow Canaries recruited some notable names in the summer transfer window as they look to win their first league crown since 2014, with new signings Edin Dzeko and Sebastian Szymanski both scoring five goals since their switches from Inter Milan and Feyenoord respectively.
Kartal's men occupy first position in the Super Lig standings as they boast a maximum collection of points from their opening seven matches, joining Galatasaray and Hatayspor as the only sides in the division who still hold their unbeaten statuses.
Team News
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Kasimpasa remain without the services of winger Mamadou Fall ahead of the visit of the league leaders on Sunday, with the Senegalese attacker still recovering from a thigh injury sustained following the 3-3 draw with Alanyaspor.
Julien Ngoy is yet to find the net for his new club since joining on loan from Belgian outfit KV Mechelen in the summer, although the 25-year-old should be handed his fourth start of the league term this weekend.
Centre-back Sadik Ciftpinar was forced off in the latter stages of the success over Fatih due to a knock last time out, meaning Tuncer Duhan Aksu could be drafted in to partner Nigerian Kenneth Omeruo at the heart of the hosts' backline.
As for Fenerbahce, Emre Mor remains a doubt as he continues to struggle with physical discomfort during the opening months of the term - the 26-year-old has featured just once for the Yellow Canaries in 2023-24.
A long-term absentee for the visitors is left-back Lincoln, but the Brazilian is beginning to step up his recovery from a serious cruciate ligament injury sustained in April, with the defender targeting a return in the middle of December.
Cengiz Under is a significant absence in Fenerbahce's attacking artillery due to a muscle strain picked up last month - the Turkey international is not having the start to life in the Super Lig that he imagined after making the switch from Marseille in the summer.
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Winck, Omeruo, Aksu, Ozcan; Gul, Kara, Ouannes, Hajradinovic, Gomis; Ngoy
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Osayi-Samuel, Becao, Djiku, Kadioglu; Fred, Yuksek; Kahveci, Szymanski, Tadic; Dzeko
We say: Kasimpasa 0-1 Fenerbahce
Kasimpasa have lost just one of their first seven matches in the Super Lig, but the Apaches are yet to face a side who can cut through a defence like Fenerbahce.
The Yellow Canaries made a raft of changes for the Conference League win in Slovakia on Thursday, meaning the league leaders' star names will be fresh and raring to extend the visitors' domestic winning run to eight matches.
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