Five points and just one place separate Alanyaspor and Besiktas, who will go into battle at the Bahcesehir Okullari Arena on Sunday evening in the Turkish Super Lig.
The hosts sit in sixth place with 49 points, while the visitors occupy fifth with 54 points and both teams are still in contention for a top-four finish.
Match preview
© Reuters
Alanyaspor extended their unbeaten run to three games as a 95th-minute penalty by Oguz Aydin secured a 1-1 draw against Ankaragucu at the Eryaman Stadium last Friday.
Fatih Tekke's side have now climbed to sixth position in the table with 49 points, level on points with seventh-placed Konyaspor and eighth-placed Rizespor as the season reaches its climax.
The Alanya-based outfit are in rich form having picked up five wins, one draw and only losing to league leaders Galatasaray in their last seven matches. They are now six points behind fourth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir with three games left to play.
They will be looking to continue their good form this weekend when they host fifth-placed Besiktas. Tekke's men have won three of their last four home matches, including a 6-0 victory over Istanbulspor in their most recent home game.
With two of their last three matches against teams below them in the table, the visitors know that a win against the Black Eagles could keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive. Furthermore, Alanyaspor have never completed a double over Sunday's opponents, and they have a rare chance to achieve this feat having won the reverse fixture 3-1.
Besiktas edged Ankaragucu 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the Turkish Cup final after a goalless draw in the first leg. In a season that has been filled with several lows, the Black and Whites will hope they can topple Trabzonspor in the final to add some silverware.
Lack of consistency this season could see the Istanbul-based club finish outside the top four for the second time in three years, after achieving a top-four finish in each of the previous ten years.
After a poor start to the season, the Black and Whites picked up at some point after several managerial changes. However, two wins in their last eight league fixtures have seen Besiktas drop outside of the top four with only three games left to play.
Fernando Santos's side are one point behind fourth-placed Basaksehir and desperately need to pick up victories if they are to have any chance of finishing within the top four and qualifying for European competition.
However, their upcoming opponents may prove to be a tough test as they are also chasing a European spot. The visitors have also struggled on the road, having already lost eight away matches and without a win in their last four.
Team News
© Reuters
Alanyaspor will be without Furkan Bayir after he was sent off for a second bookable offence in the draw with Ankaragucu.
Ahmed Hassan is the man expected to lead the line once again for the Alanya outfit, while Efecan Karaca provides support.
The away side could be without up to five players for this fixture, leaving Santos with some limited options.
Amir Hadziahmetovic is out for the remainder of the season having suffered a cruciate ligament injury in January.
Ante Rebic, Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov, Tayfur Bingol and Gedson Fernandes are all also expected to be out for this one.
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Hadergjonaj, Lima, Aliti, Balkovec; Richard, Fer; Aydin, Karaca, Ozdemir; Hassan
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Svensson, Worrall, Uysal, Masuaku; Ucan; Kilicsoy, Rashica, Muci, Ghezzal; Muleka
We say: Alanyaspor 1-1 Besiktas
This promises to be a tight encounter, as both sides are desperate for points in their pursuit of a European spot. Alanyaspor are in better form, but Besiktas also have some quality in their side despite their inconsistency. We expect this to end in a stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
