Adana Demirspor will be aiming to make it three consecutive wins when they host Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Friday.
The visitors, meanwhile, have won three of their last four matches and can move above their opponents in the table with a victory.
Match preview
© Reuters
Despite losing Vincenzo Montella to the Turkish national team during the summer, Adana Demirspor have coped surprisingly well under their new manager Patrick Kluivert, who is embarking on his first permanent managerial role for over seven years.
The former Netherlands striker's only previous senior roles have been with FC Twente's reserve side and the international team Curacao, where his mother was born, so it was something of a surprise to see Turkey's fourth best team last season take a punt on Kluivert.
It remains early days, of course, but so far the 47-year-old has repaid the faith shown in him by helping his players collect 14 points from their opening seven matches to sit third in the table ahead of this weekend's action. The Blue Lightnings have scored eight goals across two home wins in their most recent matches, beating Besiktas 4-2 before thrashing Alanyaspor 4-0 on Sunday.
With Fenerbahce and Galatasaray looking likely to run away with things at the top of the division once again, Kluivert will be imploring his players to guarantee holding onto third spot for another week by using home advantage to secure a third successive victory at Adana Stadium when they face Trabzonspor on Friday.
© Reuters
After stunning Turkish football to lift their first Super Lig title in 38 years at the end of the 2021-22 season, Trabzonspor significantly dropped off last time out, ultimately finishing sixth to miss out on European qualification.
Their title-winning manager Abdullah Avci resigned earlier this year in March for personal reasons, with his replacement Nenad Bjelica - who previously managed Dinamo Zagreb and Osijek in his homeland Croatia - having a mixed start to life in the dugout so far, winning eight and losing seven of his 15 games in charge.
However, September proved to be a fruitful month for the Burgundy Blues, with them racking up nine points from a possible 12 to move up to fifth in the table ahead of their trip to Adana. Kasimpasa, Besiktas and Pendikspor were all beaten, with only Hatayspor managing to get the better of Bjelica's side.
Having scored 14 goals across their last five matches, Bjelica and his players will fancy their chances of matching their Adana Demirspor's undoubted firepower, and they may view offence as the best form of defence as they look to leapfrog their opponents.
Team News
© Reuters
Adana Demirspor appear likely to remain without Badou Ndiaye and David Akintola due to muscle strains, while Edouard Michut - who is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain for the season - may also be held back due to a lack of match fitness.
In truth, it would represent a surprise should Kluivert make many alterations to his starting XI after comfortably swatting Alanyaspor aside last weekend, meaning that Mario Balotelli, Younes Belhanda and Nani should combine in attack once again.
Trabzonspor, meanwhile, will travel without Nicolas Pepe, Huseyin Turkmen, Dimitrios Kourbelis, Joaquin Fernandez, Mislav Orsic and Jean-Philippe Gbamin due to injury, while Batista Mendy is suspended after being sent off against Pendikspor.
Berat Ozdemir will almost certainly replace Mendy within the visitors' engine room, but Abdulkadir Omur may have to be patient once again after dropping down to the bench for his side's 2-1 win last time out.
Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Ozbir; Svensson, Gravillon, Guler, Erdogan; Tokoz, Akbaba; Sari, Belhanda, Nani; Balotelli
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Aydin, Baniya, Benkovic, Elmali; Ozdemir, Bardhi; Visca, Bakasetas, Trezeguet; Onuachu
We say: Adana Demirspor 3-1 Trabzonspor
Adana Demirspor will head into this match with real confidence after winning their last two home games, with the quirk of the fixture schedule handing them three straight games at home.
Trabzonspor remain a dangerous team, but they are missing several key players through injury and suspension, and as such, we make the home team favourites to prevail.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
