Two teams already relegated from the Turkish Super Lig will play for pride when Adana Demirspor hosts Hatayspor on Saturday.
Both teams are on lengthy winless streaks and have a real opportunity to put an end to their wretched streaks in a game with only pride at stake.
Match preview
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Adana Demirspor’s nightmare campaign plunged to new depths last time out, as they were thrashed 4-1 by Besiktas in Istanbul.
That result extended their winless run in the league to a staggering 17 matches, while also marking an eighth straight defeat.
Demirspor’s 27 losses this term puts them within touching distance of the all-time Super Lig record for most defeats in a campaign (28), set by Kardemir Karabukspor in 2017-18.
With just two wins all season, they are also at risk of matching the fewest wins in a season, a grim milestone shared by five different clubs in Turkish football history.
The numbers are damning across the board, with 83 goals conceded, they own the league’s worst defensive record and are just eight shy of matching Adanaspor’s all-time record of 91 goals conceded in a single season back in 2000-01.
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Hatayspor have not fared much better, as the Star of the South have also confirmed their drop to the second tier but showed a glimmer of fight in their last outing, drawing 1-1 away at Goztepe to halt a six-game losing run.
However, they remain without a win in their last seven matches and have the second-worst defensive record in the league with 67 goals conceded.
With pride the only thing left to play for, Hatayspor will be eager to avenge their 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture, while also taking confidence from their 1-0 win in their last visit to this ground.
With their five-year stint in the top flight terminated, the visitors will be facing one of their opponents in the second tier, and might as well see this as preparation for life in the TFF 2. Lig.
Team News
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Adana Demirspor are expected to start Breyton Fougeu in attack, with Salih Kavrazli ruled out through injury and Abat Aymbetov serving a suspension.
Andreaw Gravillon remains sidelined with a long-term injury, while Izzet Celik, who was not in line to start, also misses out due to injury.
For Hatayspor, Chandrel Massanga and Ali Yildiz are set to feature in midfield, covering for the injured Lamine Diack and Abdulkadir Parmak.
Burak Yilmaz will step in for the suspended Francisco Calvo at the back, while Rui Pedro and Carlos Strandberg are unavailable due to injury and suspension respectively.
Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Donmezer; Burak, Ersoy, Kalender; Kurtulan, Maestro, Aydogan, Balat, Kol; Barasi, Fougeu
Hatayspor possible starting lineup:
Bekaj; Corekci, Kilama, Yilmaz, Sertel; Yildiz, Massanga; Boutobba, Saglam, Fernandes; Aboubakar
We say: Adana Demirspor 1-2 Hatayspor
Despite both sides having a poor campaign, Hatayspor have shown more quality across the season and boast the stronger squad, and with Adana Demirspor in freefall and plagued by defensive issues, the visitors are well-placed to come away with a rare away victory.
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