Fatih Karagumruk and Sivasspor return to Super Lig action on Saturday for the first time since the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey in early February, doing battle at the Vefa Stadium.
Both sides won their most recent fixture, with Karagumruk picking up a 2-0 win over Ankaragucu, while the Sivas outfit stunned Europe-chasing Besiktas 1-0.
Match preview
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Karagumruk may be ninth in the Super Lig, but the compactness of the teams in the second half of the table means the threat of relegation hangs over their head.
Even though they have a game in hand, the Istanbul outfit are four points clear of Kasimpasa in 16th, putting them in a precarious position if they lose on Saturday and results elsewhere go against them.
February's forced hiatus was ill-timed for Andrea Pirlo's men, who had picked up their first win in exactly a month since that January 4 triumph at Ankaragucu, following a series of drawn games.
Karagumruk had been involved in four score draws preceding that 2-0 win at the start of last month which also included a first clean sheet in the competition since mid-October.
Despite their paucity of victories in 2023, Pirlo's men have not tasted defeat since the turn of the year, a feat they share with table-topping Galatasaray.
However, the ninth-placed side must find a way to turn draws into maximum points with their campaign resuming this Saturday.
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Their opponents this weekend were seemingly finding some form before the league was briefly halted, with successive wins in the competition achieved for only the second time this season.
Wins over Alanyaspor and third-place Besiktas were claimed by scoring four times over both games without conceding, with the 3-0 success in the former ending a run of 10 games without a clean sheet.
Riza Calimbay's troops had picked up nine points from an available 12, perhaps signalling a return to form for a side who enter this gameweek two points and three places off a relegation spot.
A hitherto underwhelming campaign for last season's mid-placed side means they are in a more dangerous position than the side they visit this weekend, despite the form table telling a different story.
The Braves have accumulated 10 points this calendar year, the tally accrued by Pirlo's men, but have not had the attacking threat of Karagumruk, although they have strikingly conceded nine goals fewer than the home side's 40.
Twenty-six goals are 17 short of the 43 the team they face this weekend have scored, despite their tally also measuring up nicely alongside the division's bottom eight, where only Antalyaspor and Kasimpasa have netted one more than Calimbay's side.
The reverse fixture between Saturday's opponents in Sivas ended goalless, with Ugur Ciftci receiving his marching orders late in the game after receiving a second yellow.
Team News
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Davide Biraschi was suspended for Karagumruk's win before the unavoidable interlude, and the defender should replace Salih Dursun at right-back.
Having been the goalscorers in the 2-0 success over Ankaragucu, Mbaye Diagne and Fabio Borini are looking to add to their 11 and 13 Super Lig goals, respectively.
Pirlo is expected to stick to the 4-3-3 he has utilised from the start of games in every round in 2022-23.
Jordy Caicedo set up Samu Saiz against Besiktas, then went off with an injury shortly, but the Sivasspor attacker's return should see him continue at centre-forward for as long as Mustapha Yatabare's ligament issue persists.
Robin Yalcin and Caner Osmanpasa are out with knee injuries, but Clinton N'Jie, Samba Camara, Fredrik Ulvestad, Murat Paluli, Leke James and Aaron Appindangoye are all back in team training.
Calimbay is expected to mirror Pirlo's 4-3-3 approach on Saturday.
Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:
Sen; Biraschi, Baniya, Dresevic, Mercan; Shukurov, Ricci, Ozdoev; Colley, Diagne, Borini
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Okumus, Goutas, Camara, Ciftci; Arslan, Cofie, Charisis; Yesilyurt, Caicedo, Gradel
We say: Fatih Karagumruk 2-1 Sivasspor
Karagumruk have not kept a clean sheet at the Vefa Stadium in their last five Super Lig games, and that run is expected to continue against this weekend's opponents, who have scored in five successive away fixtures.
With Pirlo's men possessing more firepower up front, they should edge proceedings with both sides finding the back of the net.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
