Caykur Rizespor are set to host Istanbul Basaksehir at the Caykur Didi Stadyumu on Monday, both aiming to kickstart the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig with a victory.
The hosts placed ninth in the league last season, while the visitors secured their place in the Europa Conference League qualifiers with a fourth-placed finish.
Match preview
After being relegated from the top division in 2021-22, finishing in 17th with 36 points from 38 games, Caykur Rizespor narrowly secured automatic promotion back into the Turkish Super Lig in their first time trying.
They achieved 68 points from their 36 outings to place second in the Trendyol 1.Lig, a single point more than third-placed Pendikspor, securing their return to the top flight.
Ilhan Palut's men had a phenomenal first campaign back in the Turkish Super Lig, placing ninth in the division with 50 points from 38 matches, their highest finish in the league since achieving ninth in 2005-06.
Despite that success, Palut, who took charge of Caykur Rizespor ahead of 2023-24, would have been disappointed with the way his team concluded the season, failing to win in their last six - four draws and two losses, resulting in them falling from fifth to ninth.
The hosts were at their best when playing at the Caykur Didi Stadyumu last term, amassing the third-highest points tally of any side when playing at home with 38 from 19 games, instilling them with plenty of confidence heading into this one.
The visitors also enjoyed a largely positive 2023-24 in the Turkish Super Lig, securing their place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds with a fourth-placed finish, something they had failed to do the previous campaign.
Their season appears even more impressive when you consider their dismal start, losing eight and drawing three of their first 14 league matches, which left them 17th in the table by matchday 14.
Istanbul managed to massively improve under the guidance of Cagdas Atan, who took charge of the side following the departure of former player and manager Emre Belozoglu in September, rapidly climbing the table in the campaign's closing stages.
Istanbul have already played three competitive matches in the 2024-25 season, comprehensively defeating La Fiorita 10-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, followed by a 1-0 victory against FC Iberia 1999 in the first leg of their third round tie.
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Team News
Amir Hadziahmetovic is expected to be the only absentee for the hosts as the midfielder, who joined Caykur Rizespor on loan from Besiktas earlier in the window, continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.
Otherwise, Palut will have a full squad to choose from and could opt to field a similar side to the one that started against Nice in their most recent friendly.
As for the visitors, Matchoi Djalo is unavailable for this one due to an injury, meaning Atan is likely to start Olivier Kemen, Berkay Ozcan and Dimitris Pelkas in midfield.
Krzysztof Piatek scored 17 times for Istanbul in his debut Turkish Super Lig season and has started the new campaign in fantastic form, scoring three in three games, and Piatek is expected to start here.
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Akkan; Sahin, Mocsi, Yasar, Hojer; Akintola, Papanikolaou; Varesanovic, Olawoyin, Zeqiri; Sowe
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sangezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Opoku, Lima; Kemen, Ozcan, Pelkas; Turuc, Piatek, Davidson
We say: Caykur Rizespor 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
The hosts were dominant when playing at their home ground last season, while the visitors have continued their strong form from the back end of 2023-24 into the new campaign, suggesting this will be a tight affair likely to end in a draw.
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