Eighth meets 10th in a Turkish Super Lig mid-table dead rubber on Tuesday afternoon, as Fatih Karagumruk host Kasimpasa for their 36th and final games of the season.
Alparslan Erdem's men could still jump to seventh place in the standings with a win if results elsewhere go in their favour, while the visitors could still be bumped down the table with a dissatisfactory result.
Match preview
With Kayserispor recently failing with an appeal against a three-point deduction, Fatih Karagumruk could be well on their way to yet another eighth-placed finish in the Turkish Super Lig as they continue to consolidate their place in the top tier.
Since earning promotion from the second division in 2020, Karagumruk settled for eighth place in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns and are only 90 minutes away from completing that trifecta, albeit with a lower points total under Erdem.
Mbaye Diagne's 21st goal of the season was not enough for Karagumruk to get the better of Konyaspor on Saturday, as Marlos Moreno's strike for the hosts forced a 1-1 draw, but Erdem's side could still overtake their recent foes, who sit two points better off in seventh place ahead of the final gameweek.
With a whopping 72 goals scored throughout the 2022-23 season - more than any team outside the top four - Karagumruk's issues certainly do not lie in the final third, but failing to keep the back door shut has prevented the hosts from forcing their way into top-five contention; 63 goals shipped is by far the most inside the top half.
Home is not always a safe haven for Karagumruk either, as Erdem's men have won just two of their last six games at Ataturk Olimpiyat and have collected just one clean sheet from their last 12 Super Lig games on familiar territory, although that was in their most recent 2-0 success versus Kayserispor on May 30.
Similarly, Kasimpasa also netted a pair of goals in their final home fixture of the season against Besiktas on Saturday, but unfortunately for manager Kemal Ozdes, his beleaguered team shipped five at the wrong end of the field as their three-game winning streak was brought to a halt in humiliating fashion.
Aytac Kara and Ryan Donk's efforts proved inconsequential on the day, as five goals from five different scorers propelled Besiktas to a thumping win at the home of the Apaches, who can otherwise reflect on a solid yet unspectacular campaign in the big time.
Consistently mired in mid-table obscurity over the past few years, Kasimpasa will not rise any higher than 10th place on the final day, but they could still end up in 13th with defeat if Sivasspor, Ankaragucu and Antalyaspor all prevail in gameweek 36 - not that Ozdes will be losing any sleep over it, though.
In spite of their recent home drubbing, the Apaches head on over to Karagumruk having gone unbeaten in each of their last four away games - winning each of their last two against Sivasspor and Alanyaspor - but a 2-2 draw against their hosts in January extended their winless streak against Erdem's men to three matches.
Team News
With 84 minutes gone on Saturday, Karagumruk lost Algerian veteran Sofiane Feghouli to an unspecified injury after he claimed his first assist of the season for Diagne's strike, but he is not believed to be nursing a serious problem.
Erdem could therefore be working with an identical group of players for the final day, with full-backs Emir Tintis and Efecan Mizrakci missing alongside midfielder Matteo Ricci, but a few alterations could be in the offing with only pride on the line.
Diagne would need an astonishing eight-goal haul to draw level with Enner Valencia (29) at the top of the scoring charts, and while such a feat should be beyond the former West Bromwich Albion man, he should keep Colin Kazim-Richards at bay for another start up front.
As far as Kasimpasa are concerned, captain Haris Hajradinovic picked up a milestone booking for diving in their loss to Besiktas and will miss the final game of the season, so Mounir Chouiar and Fode Koita should battle for the chance to deputise for their skipper.
Attacking duo Ali Gholizadeh (knee) and Mustafa Eskihellac (muscle) are both confined to the treatment room, while centre-back Tarkan Serbest is also nursing a muscular concern, but Papy Djilobodji and Donk would have likely paired up at the back either way.
Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:
Viviano; Dursun, Baniya, Rodrigues, Mercan; Nichaolas; Lobzhanidze, Ozdoev, Shukurov, Colley; Diagne
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Canpolat; Hadergjonaj, Donk, Djilobodji, Ozcan; Ouanes, Kara, Malsa, Chouiar; Koita, Fall
We say: Fatih Karagumruk 2-2 Kasimpasa
Goals are normally a guarantee when Karagumruk and Kasimpasa butt heads, as the net has rippled 20 times in the last five meetings between the two sides, and a similarly entertaining contest could be on the cards here as both teams play with the shackles off.
The Diagne-inspired hosts often make up for their defensive shortcomings with potent attacking play, but Ozdes's side are ending the season in impressive fashion away from home, and we can picture both managers happily accepting a point before preparations commence for the 2023-24 season.
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