Besiktas will look to boost their top-four hopes when they host high-flying Samsunspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
The Black Eagles, led by interim manager Serdar Topraktepe, ended their recent slump with a 2-1 victory over Bodrumspor last Saturday.
Match preview
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Besiktas' search for a permanent head coach continues, with the board struggling to secure their desired candidate as several potential managers have turned down the role.
On the pitch, however, the Black Eagles will be relieved to have ended their three-match winless run in the league, with goals from Cher Ndour and Ciro Immobile in the first half securing the win against Bodrumspor, rendering George Puscas's late goal a mere consolation.
Under Topraktepe, Besiktas have managed two wins, three draws, and one defeat in six league matches, leaving them in sixth place—the same position they occupied when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was dismissed.
Despite the challenges, a top-four finish remains within reach, as they trail fourth-placed Goztepe by just one point after 18 matches, but the next step for the hosts will be to find consistency in their performances to bolster their European ambitions.
Interestingly, the Black Eagles are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions, with two wins and two draws, including a 1-0 victory over Sivasspor in the Turkish Cup.
Additionally, Besiktas boast an impressive record against Samsunspor, having avoided defeat in nine of their last 10 encounters – however, given the context of the current season, the hosts enter this match as underdogs despite winning the reverse fixture 2-0.
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Samsunspor's resilience and determination have been key to their impressive campaign, rightfully earning them the favourites tag in this clash, with the Red Lightning, led by Thomas Reis, putting their December mini blip behind them, helping them hold on to third in the standings.
Their ability to avoid prolonged slumps has been pivotal, with their longest winless runs this season lasting just two matches—and occurring only twice, once in November and the other last month.
The visitors come into this clash on the back of two hard-fought victories: a 2-1 win over Trabzonspor and a narrow 1-0 triumph against Kayserispor, where they held on after scoring in the opening minute.
While their recent away form has been inconsistent, with last weekend's win ending a three-match winless run on the road (1D, 2L), Samsunspor's overall away record remains strong, currently third in the away standings, having collected 19 points from a possible 24.
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Team News
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The Black Eagles continue to deal with injury setbacks: Tayyip Talha Sanuc is sidelined with a hamstring injury and will not return until February.
Gabriel Paulista remains doubtful due to a tendon rupture, while Necip Uysal is out until March with a ligament issue, and Emrecan Terzi is also unavailable due to a muscle injury.
Gedson Fernandes is also recovering from a head injury, but Jonas Svensson is set to return after serving his suspension.
The visitors have fewer concerns, with Zeki Yavru suspended for one match due to accumulated yellow cards.
Nanu is expected to step in for Yavru, while Marius Mouandilmadji will aim to build on his momentum after scoring the winner in Samsunspor's last outing.
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Svensson, Uduokhai, Ndour, Masuaku; Musrati, Mario; Muci, Zaynutdinov, Rafa; Immobile
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Bola, Satka, Van Drongelen, Gonul; Yuksel, Aydogdu; Kilinc, Holse, Schindler; Mouandilmadji
We say: Besiktas 1-2 Samsunspor
Besiktas will look to assert dominance at home against Samsunspor with their attack - however, the visitors are likely to capitalise on counterattacks, exploiting the home side's weak defence to earn a win from this clash.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
