Konyaspor‘s survival hopes received a significant boost just before the international break, and they will be eager to build on that momentum when they welcome in-form Gaziantep to the Torku Arena in round 29 of the Turkish Super Lig on Friday.
The hosts widened the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to four points with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Besiktas, while the visitors are edging closer to the top four thanks to their impressive winning streak.
Match preview
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Konyaspor showed tremendous character in their crucial win against Besiktas before the break, with the nature of the victory just as important as the result itself.
The Anatolian Eagles were reduced to 10 men in the 27th minute when Melih Bostan was sent off, but they still managed to take the lead on the stroke of half-time through a sublime free-kick from Ugurcan Yazgili.
Their resilience was tested further when Alassane Ndao received his marching orders in the 67th minute, leaving them with nine men for the remainder of the match, but despite the numerical disadvantage, Recep Ucar‘s men held on for a vital three points, lifting them to 31 points—four clear of Sivasspor, who currently occupy the first relegation spot.
It was only Konyaspor’s third victory in their last 13 Super Lig outings, but they will now look to build on it as they seek to maintain their top-flight status – however, they face a tricky challenge against an in-form Gaziantep side whom they have failed to beat in their last two meetings.
The reverse fixture in October ended in a 3-1 defeat for Konyaspor, while their most recent encounter in January finished 1-1, though the Anatolian Eagles had won back-to-back matches before those results, and their last triumph over the visitors came on home soil.
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Gaziantep, meanwhile, have the chance to secure their first victory at the Torku Arena since 2022, and they head into this fixture as favourites given their current form.
Selcuk Inan‘s side have hit their best run of the season, winning three successive league games for the first time after a 1-0 victory over Kayserispor before the break, having earlier won 2-1 away at Besiktas and a 3-1 home win against Eyupspor.
What initially looked like another season battling relegation has transformed into an unlikely push for European qualification, with GFK now sitting just six points adrift of fourth place with eight matches remaining, offering them a glimmer of hope.
However, their struggles on the road have been a major issue this season – while they have amassed 30 points from a possible 42 at home, their away record is significantly weaker, with just eight points taken from a possible 36.
That said, their recent away victory at Besiktas could signal a turning point, and Inan’s men will be determined to prove they have overcome their travel woes.
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Team News
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Konyaspor will be without Bostan and Ndao, both of whom are suspended following their dismissals against Besiktas.
First-choice goalkeeper Jakub Slowik is still recovering from injury, meaning Deniz Ertas is likely to retain his place between the sticks – meanwhile, Emmanuel Boateng remains sidelined with a muscle problem.
Mehmet Umut Nayir, Ogulcan Ulgun and Blaz Kramer are all suspended after reaching the yellow card threshold, further depleting Konyaspor’s options.
Gaziantep will be without Ertugrul Ersoy and Arda Kizildag due to yellow card suspensions, while Bruno Viana remains banned after his red card against Besiktas.
David Okereke, who was on the scoresheet last time out, has now found the net in two of his last three appearances and will be the man to watch as GFK look to continue their winning run.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Ertas; Sitya, Demirbag, Jevtovic, Yazgili, Guilherme; Tasci, Ibrahimoglu, Aleksic, Erdogan; Pedrinho
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Bozan; Guler, Husic, Husic, Tasdemir; Ndiaye, Maxim, Kozlowski; Lungoyi, Boateng, Okereke
We say: Konyaspor 1-1 Gaziantep
Gaziantep’s momentum appears unstoppable at the moment, but their away form remains a concern, having struggled on the road for much of the season – however, given their recent away win, they should have enough quality to at least secure a draw against a Konyaspor side that has been inconsistent but will be eager to build on their impressive victory last time out.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
