Istanbul Basaksehir will look to rebound from a derby defeat as they host Caykur Rizespor at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Saturday.
The reverse fixture earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw, with both goals scored in the first half, an outcome that might suit the visitors than the hosts this time.
Match preview
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Istanbul Basaksehir showed resilience but ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat against league leaders Galatasaray in their last outing, a loss that marked their first home defeat of the current Turkish Super Lig season.
Prior to that setback, the Grey Owls had been unbeaten at home, with four wins and four draws in their opening eight matches, and will be eager to prove the Galatasaray result was just a blip when they take on Rizespor.
Currently sitting fifth in the table with 26 points from 18 matches, Basaksehir are five points off the top four and while the gap is manageable, the hosts will need to string together a strong run of results to close it.
Basaksehir's home record against Rizespor is impressive, with eight wins and just two losses in 13 meetings, while they are unbeaten in the last seven such encounters, securing five victories along the way.
However, the suspension of Krzysztof Piatek, the league's top scorer with 13 goals, is a significant blow, and sharing the scoring responsibility in his absence will be crucial for the Grey Owls in this fixture.
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Meanwhile, Rizespor will aim to capitalize on Piatek's absence, and they come into this clash on a high after snapping a four-match winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Hatayspor.
Rachid Ghezzal's 63rd-minute penalty secured the win, following a first-half that saw both teams score within the opening 23 minutes.
The Black Sea Sparrowhawks also ended a three-match losing streak away from home with that win, and interestingly, they are yet to record a single draw on the road this season, making them one of only two teams in the league—alongside Galatasaray—to avoid stalemates in away matches.
Ninth in the standings with 24 points, Rizespor can leapfrog their hosts with a win, narrowing the gap to the top four and keeping their ambitions alive.
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Team News
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The hosts will be without several key players, including Serdar Gurler, who remains sidelined with a muscle issue and is expected back later this month.
New signing Christopher Operi is also unavailable due to a knee problem, with Leo Duarte and Patryk Szysz also injured, while Piatek serves a suspension for accumulating too many yellow cards.
In Piatek's absence, Philippe Keny is set to lead the line, and there is some positive news, as Ousseynou Ba, Miguel Crespo and Berat Ozdemir have all served their suspensions and are available for selection.
Rizespor are dealing with their own injury concerns, with Ibrahim Olawoyin sidelined, paving the way for Dal Varesanovic to retain his role as the team's creative hub at number 10, while Eray Korkmaz is also unavailable due to injury.
Centre-forward Ali Sowe, who leads Rizespor with six league goals this season, will be desperate to end his current three-match goal drought and deliver for his side on Saturday.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Sahiner, Ba, Opoku, Lima; Ozdemir, Crespo, Kemen; Turuc, Keny, Davidson
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Sahin, Mocsi, Aliqulov, Pala; Hadziahmetovic, Papanikolaou; Ghezzal, Varesanovic, Akintola; Sowe
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1 Caykur Rizespor
A closely contested match is expected, with Basaksehir likely to edge it due to their strong home record – however, Rizespor's counter attacking threat, and Piatek's absence, could trouble the hosts, making it a potential thriller.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
