Gaziantep will hope to end their five-match winless streak in the Turkish Super Lig when they host Besiktas at Gaziantep Stadyumu on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the visitors will enter this match looking to preserve their unbeaten start to the Super Lig and extend their winning streak to three matches.
Match preview
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After recording a 1-0 victory over Bodrumspor in their opening match of this campaign, Gaziantep appeared poised to pick up where they left off at the tail end of the previous season when they won their last three matches.
However, that was not the case for the Hawks, who lost their next three matches to Samsunspor, Sivasspor, and Galatasaray and have since failed to record another victory.
A goalless draw against Trabzonspor suggested that perhaps Selcuk Inan's men had finally decided to get their season back on track through defensive solidity, but a 3-2 defeat to Eyupspor in their last league game dispelled such a notion.
These results have culminated in Gaziantep sitting in 15th place with four points, level with 16th-placed Rizespor, who are the first team in the relegation zone and have played one extra game.
Inan will hope his side can replicate last season's performance when they hosted this fixture and won 2-0 – however, they have failed to win any of their two home matches this season, losing and drawing one each.
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Meanwhile, Besiktas may have made a strong start to the Super Lig season, but they enter this clash on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in their most recent match on Thursday, their second Europa League game of the season.
The Black Eagles are struggling on the European front, having lost their opening two Europa League group stage matches, conceding seven goals and scoring just one – these are their only defeats in 11 competitive games this season, having won seven times and drawn two.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side comfortably beat Kayserispor 3-0 in their last league match, leaving the visitors in third place with 16 points, three points behind league leaders Galatasaray who have played one more game.
Having conceded four goals, Besiktas currently boast the best defense in the Super Lig, while they have the third-best attack in the league (14), only behind Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.
The visitors have won two and drawn one of their three away league fixtures this term, scoring six and conceding just a goal, while keeping two clean sheets.
Team News
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Gaziantep will enter this match without Godfrey Stephen, who suffered a tendon injury just over a month ago against Samsunspor.
Quentin Daubin and Mustafa Eskihellac will also miss the game, as they are sidelined with ankle and muscle injuries respectively.
Besiktas will be without centre-back Necip Uysal until November due to a ligament injury, while midfielder Mutassim Al Musrati is likely to miss out with a hamstring strain.
Cher Ndour has replaced Al Musrati in the last two matches, and he is expected to retain that spot alongside Gedson Fernandes, who has been tasked with dropping deeper into the double pivot.
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Dioudis; Artan, Kizildag, Viana, Saborit; Sorescu, Soyalp, Ndiaye, Lungoyi; Maxim; Okereke
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Topcu, Paulista, Uduokhai, Mario; Fernandes, Ndour; Rashica, Muci, Silva; Immobile
We say: Gaziantep 1-3 Besiktas
Besiktas have been virtually unstoppable in the Super Lig this season, and their match against Gaziantep appears to be a mismatch at this point given the hosts' poor form, which is why we are predicting a victory for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
