Hoping to secure their first victory of the new year, Adana Demirspor host Hatayspor at the New Adana Stadium for round 23 of the Turkish Super Lig this Saturday.
Both teams come into the match on the back of draws and winless streaks, eager to break the drought and claim all three points on the weekend.
Match preview
Adana Demirspor clung on for a goalless draw against Besiktas on Tuesday, despite playing most of the second half with ten men, a result that extended their winless streak to six games across all competitions and five in the Super Lig.
Yusuf Barasi's dismissal for a second yellow card in the 48th minute threatened to derail Adana, but a superb performance from goalkeeper Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev kept Besiktas at bay, securing a valuable point for the Blue Lightnings.
Hikmet Karaman's side have now failed to win 11 of their last 12 Super Lig matches, losing three and drawing eight since the start of November.
Despite their recent struggles, Adana remain in the European qualification picture, sitting sixth in the league table with 31 points after 22 games.
However, home comforts might be what Adana need to end their slump, as they boast the third-best home record in the league this season, behind only Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and Karaman will hope his side can capitalise on this strong home form to end their poor run.
Hatayspor were denied victory in the 89th minute as Alanyaspor snatched a 1-1 draw at the Mersin Stadyumu on Tuesday, extending their winless streak in the league to ten matches.
Rigoberto Rivas's early opener put Volkan Demirel's men ahead, but just as they seemed poised to claim three points, Oguz Aydin's penalty from the spot in the 89th minute broke their hearts.
Despite the disappointment, the draw lifts Hatayspor to 14th in the Turkish Super Lig table, although they remain above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
With just one league win on the road all season, Demirel will be hoping his side can improve their away form and finally secure their first Super Lig victory of the year.
However, the task will not be easy, as Hatayspor have never beaten Adana Demirspor in the top flight, and their only away win against them came in the second division.
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Team News
Demirspor will be without 33-year-old striker Mario Balotelli, who has missed each of the last 11 matches since sustaining a knee injury in November.
He is joined in the Blue Lightnings' injury table by Turkish forward Yusuf Sari, who has been sidelined since coming off injured against Istanbul Basaksehir on January 6.
Barasi is also unavailable as he serves a one-match suspension for his sending off against Besiktas last time out.
Eighteen-year-old Ibrahim Demir remains sidelined with a knee injury, which has seen him fail to feature for Hatayspor since early December.
Didier Lamkel Ze is also out of contention for the home side through an ankle problem, but the forward is closing in on a return to action.
Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Mahammadaliyev; Tokoz, Guler, Cisse, Dursun; Gravillon, Michut; David, Stambouli, Erdogan; Akbaba
Hatayspor possible starting lineup:
Bekaj; Corekci, Maksimovic, Kilama, Alici; Aburjania, Saglam; Rivas, Dele-Bashiru, Beyaz; Strandberg
We say: Adana Demirspor 1-0 Hatayspor
Demirspor have one of the best home records in the league this season while they have also dominated this fixture historically. Expect this trend to continue this weekend, with the home side narrowly claiming victory to finally break their winless run.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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