Two teams battling relegation in the Turkish Super Lig will clash on Saturday when Ankaragucu host Pendikspor at the Eryaman Stadium.
The hosts are three points clear of the relegation zone, while the visitors are two points from safety.
Match preview
© Reuters
Ankaragucu's winless run extended to four games after a 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers at the Mersin Stadium last Sunday.
The MKE have 39 points with two games left, and victory this weekend would either secure their safety or put them in a strong position for survival going into the final day of the season.
Manager Emre Belozoglu took over from Tolunay Kafkas in October 2023 after a poor start to the season, where the team only won one of their first seven Super Lig games.
This will be the second meeting between Ankaragucu and their opponents this season, following a 1-1 draw in their first ever encounter.
Belozoglu's side have enjoyed a decent run at home recently, recording two wins and two draws in their last four home fixtures. They will be hoping to extend this run against one of the league's weakest teams this weekend.
Pendikspor claimed back-to-back victories when they defeated Caykur Rizespor 2-1 at the Pendik Stadyumu last Sunday.
Ibrahim Uzulmez's men found themselves behind at half-time after Jonjo Shelvey's 44th-minute goal for Rizespor, before goals from Mame Thiam and Umut Nayir turned the game around to earn Pendikspor the win.
Despite the win, the visitors remain 19th in the Turkish Super Lig table and are now two points from safety heading into this weekend.
Pendikspor will be relegated if they lose on Saturday. A draw could also see them go down if either Gaziantep or Fatih Karagumruk win their respective matches, and Hatayspor beat Besiktas.
Having picked up a win in their last away game, the visitors will be hopeful of another victory here against a fellow relegation-threatened side.
Team News
Ankaragucu have relatively few injuries with only defender Alper Uludag absent due to a muscle injury that should keep him out until later this month.
Romanian midfielder Olimpiu Morutan is also absent because of a cruciate ligament injury that has ruled him out of action until early next year.
Pendikspor have a fully fit squad with no injuries or suspensions reported heading into Saturday's clash.
Thiam's strike against Rizespor was his 18th of this league campaign, which puts him in third place in the scoring charts.
Ankaragucu possible starting lineup:
Ozbir; Kitsiou, Mujakic, Radakovic, Cankaya; Pedrinho; Chatzigiovanis, Bekiroglu, Flips, Bassogog; Sowe
Pendikspor possible starting lineup:
Canpolat; Tasdemir, Welinton, Ozturk, Ozgenc; Lusamba, Ndiaye, Kaya; Thiam, Yardimci, Akbunar
We say: Ankaragucu 0-1 Pendikspor
Pendikspor are coming into this affair on the back of two wins in a row and are the form team between these two sides. The desperation to avoid relegation and their recent form makes the visitors the slight favorites in this one.
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