Two teams fighting to avoid the drop will clash when Kasimpasa host Hatayspor at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on Monday evening, wrapping up Round 21 of the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig season.
The hosts sit six points above the relegation zone, while the visitors are 11 points adrift of safety – however, the Star of the South will be hoping to build on their spirited performance against Galatasaray last Friday.
Match preview
© Imago
Murat Sahin began his tenure as Hatayspor's head coach with a morale-boosting 1-1 draw at home against the league leaders, capitalising on Galatasaray's uncharacteristically poor finishing.
Sahin, the Star of the South's third full-time manager this season, will aim to use that result as a springboard in their fight against relegation, with his side currently sitting second-bottom in the league table.
Despite the encouraging draw, Sahin faces an uphill battle, as his team are winless in their last eight league matches and have secured just one victory in 19 Super Lig outings this season.
Their struggles deepen on the road, where they remain the league's worst away side, yet to win on their travels, collecting only two points from a possible 24.
The visitors will look to reverse their fortunes against Kasimpasa, having conceded in stoppage time to draw 1-1 in the reverse fixture, a result that marked their third consecutive match without a win against Kasimpasa.
© Imago
This fixture traditionally favours the home side, with Hatayspor losing three of their last four visits to Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium, and winning just once, while they are unbeaten in five home games against the Apaches.
Kasimpasa will aim to extend their home dominance in this fixture, having won their last three home encounters against the visitors, scoring seven goals and conceding only one during that stretch.
However, Hakan Keles's side will be wary, as they rank in the bottom three for home form in the Super Lig this season, collecting just seven points from a possible 27, managing only one home win all season, alongside four draws and four losses.
Kasimpasa have developed a knack for stalemates, recording a league-high 10 draws this season, with their most recent outing ending in a 3-3 thriller at Konyaspor, marking the fifth draw in their last seven league matches.
- W
- D
- D
- L
- L
- D
- D
- L
- L
- L
- L
- D
Team News
© Imago
Head coach Keles may need to deploy Mamadou Fall as the primary striker, with Nuno da Costa sidelined due to injury.
The hosts will also be without Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo, who remains unavailable with a ligament injury – however, they welcome back Nicolas Opoku to the defence following his suspension.
Hatayspor will miss midfielder Jonathan Okoronkwo, who is out with a foot injury until next month.
Lamine Diack is suspended after accumulating yellow cards, paving the way for Chandrel Massanga to slot into midfield.
On a positive note, Rui Pedro and Erce Kardesler return to the squad after serving their respective suspensions.
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Winck, Opoku, Ciftpinar, Rodrigues; Gul, Kara, Hajradinovic; Ouanes, Fall, Brekalo
Hatayspor possible starting lineup:
Kardesler; Setel, Calvo, Kilama, Corecki; Massanga, Pedro, Saglam; Rivas, Aboubakar, Fernandes
We say: Kasimpasa 3-1 Hatayspor
Opoku's return to the starting XI is expected to bolster Kasimpasa's defensive solidity compared to their previous outing, and combined with their decent ability to create chances, the hosts are well-placed to secure a narrow victory, especially against a visiting side that tends to concede opportunities.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
