Relegation-threatened Sivasspor will welcome title-chasing Fenerbahce to the New Sivas Stadium on Sunday, hoping to add a fresh twist to the Turkish Super Lig storyline.
The hosts currently occupy the final relegation spot and are just two points adrift of safety, while second-placed Fenerbahce sit three points behind league leaders Galatasaray in the title race.
Match preview
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With Galatasaray not in action last weekend, Fenerbahce were presented with a golden opportunity to close the gap at the summit to just three points, but standing in their way were fierce rivals Trabzonspor.
Having suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup semi-finals, the Yellow Canaries were desperate to respond, but they struggled to impose themselves in the first half and were dealt a blow when Denis Dragus fired Trabzonspor ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Jose Mourinho‘s side emerged reinvigorated after the break, and were handed a lifeline when Bright Osayi-Samuel was brought down in the box, with January signing Anderson Talisca calmly dispatching the resulting penalty.
That goal sparked a dramatic turnaround, as fellow winter arrival Milan Skriniar handed Fenerbahce the lead on the hour mark, before Talisca took centre stage, completing his hat-trick with two more goals, the last of which was a stunning volley to seal a comprehensive 4-1 win.
With the head-to-head record favouring Galatasaray, who took four points from their two league meetings, Fenerbahce know they must maintain a flawless run-in to stand any chance of clinching the title.
Now out of both the Europa League and the Turkish Cup, Mourinho’s men can fully concentrate on the league, and having thrashed Sivasspor 4-0 in the reverse fixture, they will expect a straightforward task this time around.
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However, Sivasspor are in survival mode, and that urgency appears to have sparked a revival in their form over the last couple of weeks.
They followed up a dominant 5-1 victory over basement side Adana Demirspor with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Caykur Rizespor last time out, showing grit to come from behind.
Those results mean the Braves have collected seven points from their last five matches, a marked improvement on earlier form, especially between late January to early March, when they failed to win in seven consecutive matches across all competitions.
Riza Calimbay‘s side have taken 23 of their 31 total points at the New Sivas Stadium and have won their last two league outings there, which offers a glimmer of hope heading into Sunday’s clash.
However, victory against Fenerbahce remains a tall order, but avoiding defeat could prove vital in their battle for survival, especially with daunting fixtures against Galatasaray and Kasimpasa still looming in their final six games.
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Team News
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Sivasspor will once again be without talisman Fode Koita due to injury, meaning Turac Boke is expected to retain his place in the starting XI.
Mehmet Albayrak is still lacking match fitness and will not be involved, while goalkeeper Djordje Nikolic also remains sidelined through injury.
As for Fenerbahce, long-term absentees Jayden Oosterwolde and Rodrigo Becao are ruled out for the rest of the season, having both sustained cruciate ligament injuries.
Talisca, who came off the bench to net a sensational hat-trick against Trabzonspor, is likely to be rewarded with a place in the starting XI.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Ciftci, Cigerci, Radakovic, Paluli; Moutoussamy, Charisis, Bekiroglu; Rodrigues, Manaj, Boke
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Egribayat; Skriniar, Akcicek, Muldur; Aydin, Amrabat, Fred, Kostic; Syzmanski; En-Neysri, Talisca
We say: Sivasspor 1-3 Fenerbahce
Sivasspor are expected to put up a strong fight, especially given their current survival battle and recent improvements in defensive organisation, but that may not be enough against a high-quality Fenerbahce side who are in fine form and now fully focused on the league title.
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