Antalyaspor seek to avoid falling into the Super Lig relegation zone when they play host to Kayserispor at the Antalya Stadium on Saturday.
The Scorpions were defeated 3-1 by Kasimpasa last time out, while this weekend's visiting side saw a three-game winning run halted with a 2-1 home loss against title hopefuls Fenerbahce.
Match preview
Goals were expected when Antalyaspor visited Kasimpasa last week, but Nuri Sahin's troops were on the receiving end of a loss, thus ending their two-game unbeaten run.
The side from Antalya hopes for home comforts when they return to their ground this Saturday, aiming to extend their unbeaten record to four games.
The Scorpions have won two on the spin at the Antalya Stadium, even though they have not played in front of their fans since the resumption of the league after the hiatus following the devastating earthquake in Turkey last month.
Sahin's men picked up seven points from nine in three home fixtures preceding the enforced break, although the concession of goals remains a worry, with only one clean sheet claimed in the 2-2 draw with Giresunspor, 3-2 win over Umraniyespor and 1-0 triumph against Gaziantep.
Three points separate Antalyaspor from slipping into the league's relegation zone, where Ankaragucu — who have an identical goal difference — could leapfrog them in the standings if the Scorpions are beaten and the 16th-placed side defeat Alanyaspor on March 12.
The fourth-bottom club will hope Kayserispor do them a favour on Saturday when the seventh-placed side aim to return to winning ways after last weekend's reverse against high-flying Fenerbahce.
Cagdas Atan had seen his team claim three victories on the trot, but a fourth straight triumph eluded them against the side chasing table-topping Galatasaray.
The Kayseri outfit are favourites to claim maximum points on Saturday due to a decent-to-good away record that has seen only two teams in the competition — Galatasaray and Fenerbahce — secure more away victories than Kayserispor's five.
That said, five wins from 11 matches on their travels appear average, particularly when the five away losses are thrown into the equation.
Atan's side are not favourites to make Europe next season, but the seventh-placed club missed an opportunity to supplant Trabzonspor in sixth, reduce the gap from Istanbul Basaksehir to two points and move within four points of Adana Demirspor in fourth after last weekend's results.
A win over Antalyaspor is imperative for the Central Anatolia club to have a chance of European participation through a high finish in the league.
Kayserispor have a good record over this weekend's opponent, already claiming two victories over them in the league and cup in 2022-23, with January's 2-0 success extending their unbeaten run to four games.
Team News
Helton Leite was reinstated in goal at Ataberk Dadakdeniz's expense for Antalyaspor last time out but made a costly error in the loss, giving Sahin a selection headache.
Haji Wright got nine minutes off the bench at Kasimpasa, and the team's top scorer could start for the first time since the start of January.
The home side are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1.
Bernard Mensah has not played for Antalyaspor since January, and the Ghanaian is not expected back on Saturday.
Atan might have to make do without centre-back Majid Hosseini, who missed last week's Fenerbahce defeat through injury, although Lionel Carole should be fine despite being taken to hospital after what initially looked to be a severe injury against Fener forced the left-back off before half time.
The visitors are likely to deploy a 4-3-3 from the off against Antalyaspor.
Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:
Leite; Balci, Sari, Toprak, Vural; Fernando, Akyol; Guecha, Mehmedi, Larsson; Wright
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Sazdagi, Kolovetsios, Kocaman, Carole; Campanharo, Cardose, Karimi; Kemen, Thiam, Mane
We say: Antalyaspor 1-2 Kayserispor
Kayserispor's away form at the start of the season left much to be desired, but they have now netted in eight straight games on their travels, claiming five wins during that run.
This should result in what could be a slender success against an Alanyaspor side that have kept only one clean sheet at home all season.
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