Kayserispor will be bidding to avoid a seventh straight defeat in all competitions when they continue their Turkish Super Lig campaign at home to basement side Istanbulspor on Monday evening.
The hosts are currently eighth in Turkey's top flight, while Istanbulspor are rock bottom of the division, only picking up seven points from their 20 league matches this term.
Match preview
Kayserispor boast a record of eight wins, five draws and seven defeats from their 20 Turkish Super Lig matches this season to collect 29 points, which has left them in eighth position in the table.
The hosts are actually level on points with sixth-placed Adana Demirspor and just three points behind fifth-placed Rizespor, but there is no getting away from the fact that their recent form has been incredibly poor.
Recep Ucar's side have lost each of their last six matches in all competitions, with their last success proving to be a 2-0 victory over Pendikspor in the Turkish Super Lig on December 10.
Kayserispor have been beaten in each of their last five games in the league, including a 2-1 loss away to Galatasaray on January 15, while they will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 reverse at home to Genclerbirligi in the fifth round of the Turkish Cup.
Ucar's side have been relatively strong at home this season, picking up 18 points from 10 matches, and they will be welcoming an Istanbulspor outfit that have the worst away record in the division in 2023-24.
Istanbulspor were hit with a three-point deduction last month after their president Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu withdrew his players from the pitch due to his team being denied a penalty call against Trabzonspor on December 19.
Hakan Yakin's side are rock bottom of the division, only picking up seven points from their 20 league matches this season, and they are some 14 points from the safety of 16th position.
Istanbulspor have drawn two and lost seven of their nine league matches on their travels this season, so their fans will not exactly be confident heading into this match despite Kayserispor's recent struggles.
The Bulls, who finished 12th in the Turkish Super Lig last season, are without a victory since a 2-1 success over Hatayspor at the end of November, but they have drawn their last two against Adana Demirspor and Konyaspor, with both results certainly a step in the right direction.
Team News
Kayserispor will have to work around the absences of a number of first-team players, including Anthony Uzodimma, who is out with a muscular problem.
There will also be no Gokhan Sazdagi, with the number 11 missing due to the milestone booking that he picked up in the 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the league last time out.
Meanwhile, Olivier Kemen, Julian Jeanvier, Carlos Mane and Majid Hosseini are in action at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Aylton Boa Morte has scored seven times for Kayserispor during the current season, and the 30-year-old is again set to feature in the final third of the field.
Istanbulspor will again be missing Eduart Rroca due to a hamstring problem, while Vefa Temel is suspended following the milestone booking that he picked up against Konyaspor last time out.
Valon Ethemi has only scored once for the strugglers this season, but he is expected to continue in the final third of the field, while there should also be another start for Jackson.
Alassane Ndao is set to feature off the right, while Florian Loshaj and Muammer Sarikaya should also keep hold of their starting roles in midfield for Monday's encounter.
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Malatyali, Attamah, Kocaman, Kaldirim; Ackah, Karimi; Boa Morte, Ozebek, Civelek; Bahoken
Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:
Arda; Erdogan, Yesil, Deli, Kirtas; Sarikaya, Vorobjovas, Loshaj; Ndao, Ethemi, Jackson
We say: Kayserispor 1-0 Istanbulspor
This is a tough match to call, and neither side will be particularly confident heading into the contest. Kayserispor will be the favourites on home soil, though, and we are backing them to edge a close match on Monday evening to pick up a hugely important three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
