Istanbul Basaksehir will be looking to keep pace in the Super Lig title race when they do battle with Kayserispor at the Kadir Has Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Although Basaksehir lead Kayserispor by 11 points in the table, the hosts will fancy their chances of closing the gap after thrashing Istanbulspor 4-2 last time out.
Match preview
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When Kayserispor found themselves 2-1 down at half time against Istanbulspor, it looked as though Cagdas Atan's men were on course to suffer a humiliating defeat, but they turned on the style after the break.
Second-half goals from Onur Bulut, Emrah Bassan and Ilhan Parlak saw the Anatolian Star come from behind to secure a well-deserved victory, meaning they have now won three of their last four games in all competitions.
When you look at the bigger picture, however, Kayserispor have lost four of their last seven outings, and they have not drawn a match since October, registering six wins and five losses across their previous 11 encounters.
It is also worth noting that Atan's side have lost three of their past four home games in the Super Lig, suffering defeats to Konyaspor, Fatih Karagumruk and Besiktas, although they did manage an impressive 4-1 win against Sivasspor in mid-January.
Kayserispor's league record of nine wins, two draws and nine losses tells you everything you need to know about their inconsistency this season, so Istanbul Basaksehir are likely to approach Thursday's clash with caution.
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Basaksehir kicked off their Super Lig campaign with a seven-game unbeaten streak, picking up five wins and two draws to rekindle memories of their 2019-20 title triumph.
Although the Grey Owls have struggled for consistency since then – recording seven wins, two draws and four losses in their past 13 league outings – they remain in contention for the title, despite Galatasaray's blistering form.
Not only have Emre Belozoglu's boys won three of their last four Super Lig matches, but they have also won five of their previous seven, scoring at least two goals in all five of those victories.
Better still, Basaksehir have suffered a solitary defeat in their past 11 encounters across all competitions, and they find themselves in the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup following triumphs over Goztepe and Karagumruk.
Having conceded 20 goals in as many Super Lig matches, Basaksehir boast the second-best defensive record in the division this term, meaning Kayserispor will have to be at their best to get past the Grey Owls' backline.
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Team News
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Kayserispor are still without long-term injury absentee Nurettin Korkmaz, while Swiss forward Mario Gavranovic is expected to be absent from Thursday's clash after missing the last five games.
Bernard Mensah is also likely to miss the visit of Basaksehir, as the Ghana international sustained a suspected hamstring injury in last weekend's 4-2 victory over Istanbulspor.
Having chalked up six goals and three assists in all competitions this season, Kayserispor winger Miguel Cardoso will aim to enhance his tally against Basaksehir.
As for the visitors, they are currently without Sener Ozbayrakli, while on-loan Bertrand Traore has returned to parent club Aston Villa, meaning Emre Belozoglu has a selection headache to deal with.
Experienced striker Stefano Okaka is expected to lead the line, with Danijel Aleksic, Serdar Gurler and Deniz Turuc offering attacking support from midfield.
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Bulut, Hosseini, Kolovetsios, Carole; Campanharo, Cardoso, Kemen, Karimi, Mane; Sazdagi
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Babacan; Sahiner, Duarte, Touba, Lima; Tekdemir; Turuc, Aleksic, Ozcan, Gurler; Okaka
We say: Kayserispor 1-2 Istanbul Basaksehir
Having lost just one of their last 11 games in all competitions, Istanbul Basaksehir will be confident of overcoming Kayserispor, who have lost three of their previous five home clashes in the Super Lig.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
