Istanbul Basaksehir will be attempting to return to the top of the Turkish Super Lig on Monday when they host Sivasspor, where a victory will guarantee that situation takes place.
The visitors are at the complete opposite end of the table right now as they sit in the relegation zone, which is something they could potentially escape with three points.
Match preview
Istanbul Basaksehir have had a strong start to their campaign, as they head into this fixture as the only undefeated team in the entire division.
This has helped them get into the title hunt straight away, and with a game in hand on Adana Demirspor, they have the opportunity of climbing to the top of the table on Monday.
A victory would put them to the top of the division, and their impressive defensive performances throughout this campaign are going to help the team in this one.
Istanbul Basaksehir have only conceded a single goal this season, which has been their calling card in each match.
Even though they drew their most recent encounter in the Europa Conference League, even that game saw them keep a clean sheet as the fixture finished 0-0.
That strong defensive record is something that Sivasspor will be trying to crack, but with the joint-worst goal difference in the division, it could be a test.
The visitors are currently in the relegation zone, and they are one of only two teams without a victory in the division.
Sivasspor have been able to draw half of their fixtures to this point, proving that they have the ability to put up a fighting effort in every fixture they have.
That is something that the team will be looking to repeat on Monday, especially since a maiden victory does have the possibility of pushing them out of the bottom four.
That would also rely on those above them dropping points, but creating an impressive underdog win could change their league positioning drastically.
Team News
Istanbul will once again be without the creativity of Mesut Ozil, which was missed during their goalless draw in midweek as he is currently dealing with a back problem.
Defensively it is unlikely the hosts are going to make any changes considering how dominant they have been throughout this campaign, while the pressure will be on Stefano Okaka to provide the goals.
Sivasspor impressed offensively in their midweek defeat by scoring three times, and that could lead to very few tweaks being made in the attacking side of the setup.
Yet on the flip side, conceding four goals is a concern for the visitors which could be addressed with changes.
Leke James and Ahmed Musa are two names that could be unavailable on Monday as they have both been out of action recently due to injury problems.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Babacan; Sahiner, Ndayishimiye, Touba, Kaldirim; Aleksic, Biglia, Ozcan; Gurler, Chouiar, Okaka
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Goutas, Appindangoye, Ciftci; Ulvestad, Keita; Yesilyurt, Saba, Gradel; Yatabare
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 Sivasspor
There is plenty on the line in this particular fixture in a game that features two teams from opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table.
Sivasspor might be fighting to get out of the relegation zone in the early stages of the campaign, but Istanbul have the stronger squad, and that should be enough for them to get the win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
