Cercle Brugge welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Jan Breydel Stadium for their final fixture in the League Phase of the Conference League on Thursday night.
While the hosts are bidding to secure an automatic place into the last 16, the visitors are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout rounds.
Match preview
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Competing in European competition for the first time this century, Cercle Brugge have enjoyed a successful Conference League campaign thus far, accumulating 10 points from their opening five matches in the League Phase.
The Belgian outfit have boosted their hopes of securing a top-eight finish with back-to-back victories over Hearts and Olimpija, beating the former 2-0 at home and then the latter 4-1 on the road last week.
Ferdinand Feldhofer's side currently sit sixth in the 36-team table, level on points with four other teams, and will all but guarantee their place in the last 16, and avoid entering the playoffs, if they pick up maximum points against Istanbul Basaksehir.
Since beating Olimpija, Cercle Brugge were forced to come from behind and salvage a valuable point in a 1-1 draw with Gent in the Belgian Pro League last Sunday. The Green and Blacks have struggled on the domestic front this term and currently sit in the relegation zone, four points adrift of safety.
Feldhofer, who has taken charge of just two matches as Cercle boss since the dismissal of Miron Muslic on December 2, is hoping to extend his unbeaten start in the dugout and will be motivated by the prospect of securing European knockout football for the club for the very first time.
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Two seasons on from reaching the last 16 of the Conference League, Istanbul Basaksehir are now in danger of failing to qualify for the knockout rounds after collecting just five points from as many games in the League Phase this term.
After beginning their European campaign with successive losses to Rapid Vienna and Celje, the Grey Owls have since gone unbeaten in their last three games, with back-to-back draws with Copenhagen and Petrocub followed by an important 3-1 home win over Heidenheim last week.
Victory over the Bundesliga club helped Cagdas Atan's side climb up to 24th in the 36-team table, the final available playoff spot that they are clinging onto by just one point. Basaksehir know that securing a win on Thursday will earn them a playoff place, but anything else could result in elimination.
Since beating Heidenheim, the Grey Owls have seen their three-game winning run in all competitions ended by Fenerbahce (3-1), but they have not lost any ground in their pursuit of a top-four finish in the Turkish Super Lig and remain seventh, four points behind the European spots.
Atan's men are now focused on their trip to Cercle Brugge, and travel to Belgium seeking to end a six-match winless away run that includes five defeats in which they have conceded a total of 15 goals.
Team News
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Cercle Brugge will be without Warleson, Bruninho (both knee), Nazinho and Abdoul Kader Ouattara (both hamstring) as they all continue to recover from injury, while Erick Nunes and Emmanuel Kakou are ineligible as they have not been selected in the club's Conference League squad.
Top scorer Kevin Denkey, who has 15 goals to his name this term, has agreed to join MLS side FC Cincinatti in January for a reported €15m, but he is available to lead the line for Feldhofer's side and could be joined in attack by Kazeem Olaigbe.
As for Istanbul Basaksehir, Muhammed Sengezer (rib), Onur Ergun (thigh), Omer Ali Sahiner, Joao Figueiredo, Serdar Gurler and Philippe Keny (all unspecified) are all nursing injuries, while Berkay Ozcan will not be considered for first-team selection after a 'consultation with the management' last month.
Krzysztof Piatek has scored a team-high 18 goals so far this season, including four in five Conference League outings, and the Polish striker is expected to start up front, while centre-back Ousseynou Ba is available for selection despite being sent off in the Super Lig loss to Fenerbahce last weekend.
Cercle Brugge possible starting lineup:
Delanghe; Utkus, Ravych, Magnee; Efekele, Francis, De Wilde, Magnee; Minda; Olaigbe, Denkey
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Dilmen; Duarte, Ba, Opoku, Lima; Ergun; Crespo, Ozdemir, Kemen; Turuc, Piatek, Davidson
We say: Cercle Brugge 2-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Both teams have something to play for on Thursday, but the onus is on Istanbul Basaksehir to take the game to Cercle Brugge as they need a victory to boost their hopes of sealing a playoff spot.
However, the visitors have struggled on their travels in recent weeks and we believe that the hosts will continue their positive upturn in form under new boss Feldhofer.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
