Two teams in desperate need of a win face off in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday afternoon, as Konyaspor welcome Giresunspor to the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium.
Konyaspor have lost each of their last five league games, while Giresunspor are without a win in seven, making Sunday's showdown vitally important for both sides.
Match preview
Konyaspor parted company with manager Ilhan Palut in January following a run of four matches without a win, appointing Aleksandar Stanojevic as his successor, but the new boss has yet to make a positive impact.
In fact, it could be argued that Konyaspor have taken a backward step under Stanojevic, as the Serbian coach has overseen four consecutive Super Lig defeats since arriving at the club.
To make matters worse, Konyaspor have failed to score a single league goal since the managerial change, with their only goal under Stanojevic coming in January's penalty shootout defeat to Gaziantep in the Turkish Cup.
Following losses against Ankaragucu, Istanbul Basaksehir and Istanbulspor, the Anatolian Eagle suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Fenerbahce last time out, while Mame Biram Diouf was sent off midway through the first half.
Although the Konya outfit occupy eighth place in the Turkish Super Lig table, they find themselves just five points outside the relegation zone and six points clear of Giresunspor, who sit third from bottom.
It is no real surprise that Giresunspor occupy 17th place in the standings, as they have lost 11 of their 22 league encounters this season, picking up five wins and six draws along the way.
On top of that, Hakan Keles's men are the second-lowest scorers in the division having netted 21 goals this term, while only four teams have conceded more goals than Giresunspor's 40.
After taking 10 points from a possible 12 across November and December, Giresunspor put themselves in a strong position to escape the relegation battle, but they have managed to take just two points from a possible 21 since then.
Keles's side started 2023 with two straight losses before recording back-to-back draws, and they head into Sunday's clash on a three-game losing run having conceded 11 goals across defeats to Galatasaray, Kasimpasa and Kayserispor.
Giresunspor also suffered a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture back in September, meaning that they have only managed to win one of their last eight meetings with Konyaspor.
Team News
Konyaspor will be without the suspended Mame Biram Diouf this weekend following the striker's sending off against Fenerbahce last time out.
With eight goals and two assists to his name this season, Diouf will be a big miss for the hosts, who could hand a start to teenage forward Mehmet Ali Buyuksayar in the absence of their top scorer.
Konyaspor will also be without the injured duo of Muhammet Demir and Uche Ikpeazu for Sunday's showdown, leaving Stanojevic with limited attacking options.
For the visitors, Kadir Seven remains sidelined with a back injury, while Arda Kilic is a doubt for the trip to Konya due to a knee problem.
Top scorer Riad Bajic took his tally to eight goals in 22 league games last time out, netting for the fifth time in nine appearances, so the Bosnian striker will be Giresunspor's biggest threat on Sunday.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Erenturk; Oguz, Demirbag, Calvo, Guilherme; Dikmen, Bouchalakis; Ulgun, Cakici, Michalak; Buyuksayar
Giresunspor possible starting lineup:
Piri; Bilazer, Arias, Perez, Uludag; Mejia, Campuzano; Serginho, Savicevic, Sainz; Bajic
We say: Konyaspor 1-1 Giresunspor
This is destined to be a cagey encounter between two teams in woeful form, meaning that both sides will likely be happy to avoid defeat and share the points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
