Kasimpasa will look to add more wins to their current unbeaten run when they host Gaziantep at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu on Sunday.
The Apaches are enjoying a four-match unbeaten streak in the Turkish Super Lig, although three of those outings have ended in draws, with just one victory to show for their efforts during this run.
Match preview
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Hakan Keles's tenure at Kasimpasa continues to yield positive results, with the team yet to taste defeat since his appointment on November 13.
Under his guidance, the Apaches have secured two wins and three draws across all competitions, including a 1-0 victory over second-tier side Genclerbirligi in the Turkish Cup.
However, in league action, they have managed just one win alongside three draws during this period, and their most recent league outing saw them play out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Istanbul Basaksehir.
Despite their mixed results, Kasimpasa have climbed to 10th in the standings with 20 points from 16 matches, just one point behind Sunday's opponents and eight adrift of the top four.
To replicate last season's impressive fifth-place finish, the Apaches will need to address certain shortcomings, particularly their inconsistent home form.
They currently share the joint-second lowest tally of home points in the league – however, a 2-0 triumph against Eyupspor in their most recent match at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu could act as a turning point.
Adding to their optimism, Kasimpasa have dominated this fixture on home turf in recent years, winning the last three Super Lig encounters at this venue.
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For Gaziantep, the focus will also be on bridging the gap between their home and away performances – while they sit fifth in the home form table with 17 points from eight matches, their away record leaves much to be desired, with just four points from eight games – placing them third from bottom in the away form standings.
In their final match of 2024, Selcuk Inan's side claimed a solid 2-0 victory over Antalyaspor at Gaziantep Stadyumu, propelling them to eighth in the table with 21 points from 16 games.
However, their struggles on the road persist, with Gaziantep winless in their last seven away league matches, suffering six defeats and managing just one draw.
Despite these challenges, the visitors may find encouragement in the fact that they face one of the league's weakest home performers, giving them a glimmer of hope as they aim to end their poor run.
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Team News
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Claudio Winck is suspended after reaching the yellow card threshold, and he is expected to be replaced in the Kasimpasa XI by Jhon Espinoza.
On the injury front, Kenneth Omeruo remains the only casualty, and is not expected back until the next couple of weeks, while Kevin Rodrigues has served his suspension and is set to make a return to the starting XI.
The visitors will be without Deian Sorescu, who is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, which means Christopher Lungoyi will likely play from the start.
Sokratis Dioudis (thigh) and Godfrey Bitok (leg) are also expected to be absent but theirs is due to varying injuries.
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Ouanes, Ozcan, Opoku, Rodrigues; Gul; Brekalo, Barak, Hajradinovic, Fall; Da Costa
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Buzan; M'bakata, Ersoy, Viana, Eskihallac; Lungoyi, Ndiaye, Kozlowski, Okereke; Maxim; Dervisoglu
We say: Kasimpasa 2-1 Gaziantep
Gaziantep rank among the poorest away performers in the Super Lig, having suffered six losses in eight outings, making it unlikely they will take anything from this encounter.
Meanwhile, Kasimpasa ended their winless run at home in their last fixture at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium, and we believe that victory will serve as a catalyst for further success on home soil – for this reason, we are predicting a win for the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
