Kasimpasa host Konyaspor in Saturday's Turkish Super Lig opener keen to start the new campaign positively at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
The hosts, who ended last term in fifth place, seek to build on the previous season's finish against a side that just about avoided relegation.
Match preview
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Last season was record-matching for Kasimpasa as they equalled the club's best league top-flight finish to end fifth, but they cannot rest on their laurels.
Sami Ugurlu's men's performance outdid consecutive sixth-place finishes in 2013 and 2014 despite last term's negative goal difference to better every league campaign in two decades.
However, Apaciler owed that success to their road form — the fifth-best in the competition — and not their results in Istanbul, where 31 points accrued was outdone by eight clubs.
Kasimpasa notched three consecutive victories on home soil at the backend of the 2023-24 season to notch nine wins in front of their supporters, and they aim to continue that pattern this weekend.
To achieve that, the hosts must overcome a wretched record in this fixture that has seen them lose three on the trot and fail to claim success in 13 encounters since a 2-1 victory in November 2017.
Konyaspor aim to prevent that eventuality in the opening weekend, keen to extend their undefeated sequence against Kasimpasa to 14.
Despite last season's struggles and the managerial turmoil, the Konya-based outfit did the double over their higher-ranked hosts, notching a pair of 2-0 triumphs to extend their winning sequence in this fixture to three.
Ali Camdali may not have been in situ for either fixture last term, but the incumbent will be aware of his side's seven-year dominance in this fixture heading into gameweek one.
Having avoided losing their top-flight status by ending a point above Ankaragucu, the Anatolian Eagle will push for a far better start in the hope of a calmer campaign in 24-25.
After a decent-to-good pre-season, Konyaspor can enter the new term with some optimism, keen to avoid last season's murky waters of possible relegation.
Team News
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There are no reported injury issues for Kasimpasa heading into round one, giving the home side a full squad in gameweek one.
Kenneth Omeruo is expected to play at the heart of the defence, with the Nigian keen to start this term positively after 23-24's commendable leading standing.
Nuno Da Costa (14 goals) and Aytac Kara (13) were the club's leading goalscorers last term, and the pair hope to begin this season with strong performances.
Josip Calusic is Konyaspor's only reported absentee for Saturday's fixture, with a ligament injury ruling out the summer arrival.
Sokol Cikalleshi notched 12 league goals in 33 appearances (30 starts) for the away side, comfortably making him the club's top scorer, and he seeks to have a bright start having scored and set up a goal in last season's reverse fixture — a 2-0 triumph for the Anatolian Eagle.
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Winck, Ciftpinar, Omeruo, Ozcan; Kara, Sadiku, Hajradinovic; Fall, Costa, Cetinkaya
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Slowik; Yazhili, Damjanovic, Demirbag, Guilherme; Akyol, Jevtovic; Ndao, Ulgun, Pedrinho; Cikalleshi
We say: Kasimpasa 1-1 Konyaspor
While we back a motivated Kasimpasa to end their losing streak against Konyaspor, the away side's superior match sharpness — they played five pre-season games to the home side's one — should prevent a league-opening loss at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
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