Istanbul Basaksehir will travel to Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu to face Samsunspor on Wednesday evening in the Turkish Super Lig, aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
The visitors have won three and drawn one of their opening four league fixtures, while the hosts have won two and lost two of their first four games.
Match preview
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After last winning their only top-division title in 2019-20, Istanbul had a devastating 2020-21 season as they dropped into an extremely disappointing 12th-placed finish, just eight points above the relegation zone and 36 points behind first place.
They have been able to somewhat recover in the following three campaigns, finishing fourth, fifth and fourth, and they will be aiming to move higher up the table this season as they seek their second-ever league title.
Istanbul have certainly made a strong start in their quest to climb the table, currently sitting third after four matches with 10 points, thanks to three wins and one draw, leaving them just three points behind Fenerbahce, who have played a game more.
Cagdas Atan's men have not only had a positive opening to the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig season but also remain unbeaten in their 10 matches played across all competitions so far.
They will undoubtedly be aiming to extend that unbeaten run with another result against Samsunspor when they travel to Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu on Wednesday, a ground where they have not lost in all of their last three visits.
The hosts, on the other hand, have had a mixed opening to their second term back in the top division since earning promotion as champions of the 1. Lig in 2022-23.
Thomas Reis's men have won two of their first four matches, keeping clean sheets in both victories, but have also lost two, failing to score in either defeat, leaving them ninth in the Turkish Super Lig table.
Reis took over in July following the departure of the highly-regarded Markus Gisdol, who successfully steered the team from the bottom of the league midway through the 2023-24 season to safety by its conclusion, leaving the new boss with big boots to fill.
Despite suffering two defeats, Samsunspor have produced strong performances in all of their four matches and have outscored their opponents on expected goals (xG) in three of the games, something Reis will be hoping his men can replicate and capitalise on here.
Samsunspor are yet to win a match at home this season though, falling to defeats against both Besiktas and Konyaspor, leaving them in desperate search of their first victory in front of their own fans this campaign.
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Team News
Emre Kilinc is the only doubt for the hosts as he continues to deal with a jaw issue, though the winger is expected to be available having featured from the start in their last outing.
After falling to a defeat in their most recent game, Reis could opt to revert to the side that secured a 3-0 victory against Hatayspor at the beginning of September.
As for the visitors, Ousseynou Ba is set to remain unavailable due to an ankle injury that he sustained in August and is not expected to return until late October.
Omer Ali Sahiner is also not likely to return from an injury that has kept him out of the side since a 2-0 victory against St Patrick's Athletic at the end of August.
Dimitrios Pelkas is anticipated to be the final absentee for the visitors due to the midfielder receiving a red card just nine minutes after entering the field in their last match against Bodrum.
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Drongelen, Bola; Schindler, Holse, Bennasser, Ntcham, Muja; Mouandilmadji
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Kemen, Gureler, Opoku, Lima; Turuc, Figueiredo, Ozdemir, Ozcan, Gurler; Piatek
We say: Samsunspor 0-2 Istanbul Basaksehir
The hosts are still looking for their first home win of the season, having suffered two defeats and failing to score in either loss, and with the visitors remaining unbeaten so far, a comfortable victory for Istanbul is anticipated.
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