In a dress rehearsal ahead of this season's Turkish Cup final, Sivasspor and Kayserispor will take each other on in the final day of the 2021-22 Super Lig.
With nothing left to play for in the league, the pair will be keen to make sure none of their players get injured ahead of the upcoming cup final.
Match preview
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Sitting comfortable in mid-table, it is about as consistent a campaign as Sivasspor could have imagined this season, as they boast 13 wins, 12 draws and a further 12 losses from their 37 games so far.
Never really able to threaten the European positions, while also avoiding the relegation battle below them, Sivasspor will be content with their performances throughout the season.
A flurry of positive results to end the campaign has helped improve their standing in the table somewhat, with Sivasspor having lost one of their previous five league matches.
Just about inside the top 10 as things stand, a victory on Saturday would secure a top-half finish for Sivasspor, while also meaning that they would complete the season ahead of giants Galatasaray.
Not quite as high up in the table as their weekend opponents, Kayserispor will also end the season without the threat of relegation, with the Anatolian Star likely to conclude proceedings at least 10 points above the drop zone.
Shaky at times this year, a run of just one defeat from their last six matches has allowed Kayserispor to steer clear of the relegation scrap unfolding below them.
Remarkably, Kayserispor can still qualify for European football, with a cup triumph set to take them into the Europa League.
Looking to replicate the result from earlier this season not only in the cup final, but also this weekend's clash, Kayserispor triumphed 3-0 over Sivasspor back in December.
While they may hold the edge over Sivasspor this season, it is in fact the hosts who boast the stronger head-to-head record, having lost only two of the last five competitive meetings.
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Team News
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Already without two key players, Kayserispor supporters will be hoping that their side do not pick up anymore injuries ahead of the cup final.
While they may yet return for this season's showpiece event, neither Mert Cetin or Mario Gavranovic will be fit enough to be involved this weekend.
Unlike their opponents, Sivasspor boast a full complement of players, with forward Erdogan Yesilyurt hoping to add to his recent goal against Rizespor.
He will be joined in attack by striker Mustapha Yatabare, who has reached double figures for Sivasspor in the league this season, having netted 10 goals so far.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Yildirim; Camara, Goutas, Altinay, Ciftci; Erdal, Yigiter; Kayode, Kesgin, Cofie; Yatabare
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Gonen; Kolovetsios, Campanharo, Bassan, Demirok; Subasi, Civelek, Akdag, Parlak, Sazdagi; Pektemek
We say: Sivasspor 1-1 Kayserispor
While this may appear to be a dead rubber on the face of it, both sides could learn a lot about the other, with the next time they meet after this clash, a trophy and European football being on the line instead.
Expect a sluggish affair, with neither side looking to give away their tactics ahead of the cup final, with a draw the most likely result.
For additional data used by our team to analyse our suggested result please click here.
Amos Murphy
