Istanbul Basaksehir and Konyaspor will both aim to build on their recent victories when they meet in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
The hosts ended a three-game winless run on the road with a 3-1 triumph over Eyupspor, while the visitors secured a narrow 1-0 victory at home against Gaziantep.
Match preview
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Istanbul Basaksehir had suffered back-to-back defeats, conceding three goals in each, but bounced back emphatically by scoring three of their own to halt their slump.
Their 3-1 win marked the first time the Grey Owls had scored more than once in a match since their 4-1 Turkish Cup victory over Corum on February 4, a seven-game spell in which goals had been scarce.
Although they sit in sixth with 39 points, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Besiktas, Basaksehir will be eager to end the season strongly, strengthening their chances of securing a top-half finish.
However, recent home form has been inconsistent, with two losses in their last three matches at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium, and across those defeats, they conceded four goals, with a narrow 1-0 win over Sivasspor being their only bright spot.
Moreover, Konyaspor have proved a difficult opponent in recent meetings, with visitors winning 1-0 on their last trip to this ground and edged a 3-2 thriller in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
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The visiting side saw their season take a significant boost after their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Besiktas, and they have now strung together three successive wins in all competitions.
Following that impressive result, the Anatolian Eagles secured another crucial 1-0 win at home to Gaziantep in the league, keeping their four-point cushion above the relegation zone intact.
They also enjoyed midweek cup success, beating third-tier side Iskenderunspor 3-0 in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals, setting up a semi-final showdown with Galatasaray on April 22, but their immediate focus remains on improving their Super Lig position.
Konyaspor have struggled away from home, enduring a six-match winless run on their travels, with four defeats and two draws in that period, and a strong performance against Basaksehir will be crucial in breaking that streak.
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Team News
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Basaksehir will be without Onur Ergun, who is sidelined with injury, but otherwise, Cagdas Atan has a fully fit squad at his disposal, as Deniz Turuc is available again after serving a suspension.
Atan opted for a tactical shift against Eyupspor, moving from a three-man defence to a four-man backline, a strategy that paid off, and he is expected to stick with for this fixture.
Konyaspor’s first-choice goalkeeper Jakub Slowik is still recovering from injury, meaning Deniz Ertas is likely to retain his place in goal.
Midfielder Emmanuel Boateng remains out through injury, while Melih Bostan is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Ba, Operi; Ozdemir, Crespo, Gunes; Turuc, Piatek, Brnic
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Ertas; Boranijasevic, Demirbag, Yazgili, Guilherme; Jevtovic, Ibrahimoglu, Aleksic; Erdogan, Kramer, Pedrinho
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-1 Konyaspor
Basaksehir may have ended their poor run last time out, but they are yet to produce a truly convincing performance – up against a Konyaspor side brimming with confidence, they will likely need more than the handful of chances they created against Eyupspor to secure a result.
With both teams evenly matched in key areas, we anticipate a tightly contested affair, ultimately ending in a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
