One of the Turkish Super Lig contenders, Galatasaray, will set sights on keeping the pressure on their rivals when they travel to Samsunspor this Friday.
Both teams head into the clash riding the crest of unbeaten runs, with the hosts aiming to pull off an upset and extend their gap from the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Samsunspor moved three points clear of the relegation zone last time out as they picked up a 1-1 draw against Istanbulspor at the Necmi̇ Kadioglu Sports Complex on Monday.
Emir Kaan Gultekin gave Istanbulspor the lead in the 54th minute, but Emre Kilinc restored parity for the Red Lightning 18 minutes later, earning them a share of the spoils.
Markus Gisdol's side have now gone five consecutive games without defeat across all competitions, claiming two draws and three wins, including a 3-1 extra-time victory at Alanyaspor in the Turkiye Kupasi fifth round on January 17.
Samsunspor have picked up 26 points from 23 matches to sit 14th in the table, and while they will be looking over their shoulder, they head into Friday's game knowing that victory could take them level with 10th-placed Sivasspor.
Home results offer some confidence heading into this weekend's clash, as the Red Lightning have the seventh-best home record this season with 20 points from a possible 33, while they are also on a six-match unbeaten run at home across all competitions, winning the last three without conceding.
However, a run of five consecutive losses against their opponents, Gala, will leave them sweating ahead of this fixture.
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Galatasaray extended their remarkable unbeaten streak in the league to 11 matches after coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Gaziantep.
Arda Kizildag gave Gaziantep a first-half lead, but second-half goals from Wilfried Zaha and Baris Yilmaz turned it around for the Lions.
Okan Buruk's side remain level on points with league leaders Fenerbahce, trailing only on goal difference as the title race heats up.
Back on the road on Friday, the Lions will hope to rediscover the form that helped them win their opening five away league games, as they have since won just two of the last five league games on opposition territory, losing one and drawing two.
Buruk's men know they cannot afford to give anything away as they await a slip up from Fener, but they will be keen to avoid the stress of having to come from behind once again, a trend that has occurred in their last two matches.
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Team News
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The hosts are set to miss 28-year-old forward Gaetan Laura, who has been ruled out since November with a muscle tear.
Nanu is also unavailable for the Red Lightings, as he nurses a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out until mid-February.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray will be without Hakim Ziyech and Cedric Bakambu as they continue their campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations, having both reached the knockout stages with their countries.
Sergio Oliveira and Abdulkerim Bardakci are also out with muscle and hamstring injuries, respectively.
Zaha, who has directly contributed to four goals in the last three games, could be handed a starting berth after coming on as a substitute last game.
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Ozturk, Bola; Tait, Antalyali; Kilinc, Holse, Fofana; Mouandilmadji
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Boey, Nelsson, Sanchez, B.A. Yilmaz; Demirbay, Torreira; Zaha, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi
We say: Samsunspor 1-2 Galatasaray
Galatasaray have struggled away from home in recent games, but their sheer quality should prove too much for the hosts. The Lions are already in title-chasing mode, and that hunger should propel them to victory once again.
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