With both sides looking to get back to winning ways, Sivasspor are set to play host to league leaders Galatasaray on Sunday at BG Group 4 Eylul Stadyumu in Turkey's Super Lig.
Bulent Uygun's Sivasspor are currently ninth in the table with 18 points from their 14 matches so far, while Okan Buruk's Galatasaray are first after 13 matches, having accumulated 35 points so far.
Match preview
© Imago
Sivasspor boss Uygun may have thought his team had hit their stride after recording three wins on the bounce up to the beginning of last month, but a difficult November has seen them register two losses and one draw in their last three matches.
This poor stretch includes a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce on November 10 and a 2-1 loss most recently to Antalyaspor.
However, Yigidos are still just five points behind Eyupspor, who occupy the Super Lig's UEFA Conference League spot, and should they recapture their form from earlier in the season, then playing European football in 2025-26 could become a real possibility.
With this in mind, Uygun's side will face stiff competition on Sunday, and in order to avoid a repeat of their game against title-chasing Fener, Sivasspor will have to play to their maximum considering they have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight league matches.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Buruk's Galatasaray are currently top of the Super Lig table and are unbeaten in both the Super Lig and Europa League this term, having won 14 and drawn four of their 18 matches across both competitions.
Cimbom's last two losses came in their August Champions League qualifying round, when they lost home and away against BSC Young Boys and subsequently dropped into the Europa League for the 2024-25 campaign.
Last time out, Galatasaray drew 2-2 at home with Eyupspor, a game in which they initially came from behind to lead 2-1 just after half time thanks to goals from Baris Alper Yilmaz and Roland Sallai, but conceded an equaliser with less than 20 minutes remaining.
Failing to win will be particularly disappointing for Buruk given his side completely dominated the match and forced the opposition goalkeeper into making 12 saves.
Additionally, dropping two points has meant that rivals Fenerbahce are now just three points behind in the Super Lig table despite Cimbom's remarkable start to the season, and Buruk will be desperate to get the win this weekend to maintain their slim lead in the title race.
Team News
© Imago
Sivasspor will continue to be without midfielder Mehmet Albayrak, who is expected to miss the remainder of this season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Otherwise, boss Uygun has a full squad to choose from, and will need centre-backs Noah Sonko Sundberg and Uros Radakovic to give their all to keep the Super Lig's second-best offence at bay.
In forward areas, Alex Pritchard and Rey Manaj will be looking to cause problems, though it will take a lot to breach a Galatasaray defence that have averaged just one goal conceded per game this term.
As for Buruk's side, Sunday's match likely comes too soon for versatile left-sided defender Abdulkerim Bardakci, who picked up an ankle injury last week against Eyupspor and is set to return later this month.
Similarly, midfielder Ismail Jakobs will be out until late January, though Kaan Ayhan may replace Bardakci in the backline, where he could play alongside Davinson Sanchez and Metehan Baltaci if he is declared fit enough after his muscle injury.
Meanwhile, as Mauro Icardi recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, talismanic striker Victor Osimhen will be looking to back up his assist in his last outing with a goal this weekend.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Okumus, Radakovic, Sonko Sundberg, Ciftci; Koita, Poungouras, Charisis, Rodrigues; Pritchard, Manaj
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Baltaci, Sanchez, Ayhan; Yilmaz, Torreira, Sara, Sallai; Akgun, Mertens, Osimhen
We say: Sivasspor 0-2 Galatasaray
Sivasspor can be expected to put up some resistance, but Uygun's team will likely be unable to hold out for the full 90 minutes.
Having drawn their last Super Lig game, Galatasaray will be aware of the pressure they are under from Fenerbahce in the title race, and Buruk's side will likely channel this into picking up all three points on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
