Two teams aiming to avoid further setbacks in their respective campaigns will clash on Sunday as Konyaspor host Fenerbahce at the Torku Arena.
The home side is perilously close to the relegation zone, just four points clear, while the visitors trail league leaders Galatasaray by eight points and need a win to maintain their title challenge.
Match preview
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Konyaspor boosted their morale with a hard-fought 1-0 win over lower-league Corum in the Turkish Cup last Thursday, courtesy of Blaz Kramer's late strike.
However, their league form remains a concern, with the Anatolian Eagles failing to win in their last three Turkish Super Lig matches, managing only two points in that run.
A 2-1 loss to Alanyaspor in their last league outing highlighted Konyaspor's vulnerabilities, with their opponents spurning numerous chances that could have made the defeat heavier.
Recep Ucar's men now find themselves in 13th place, dangerously close to the drop zone, and must find a way to halt their slide against one of the league's powerhouses.
Encouragingly for the hosts, they have been solid at home, remaining unbeaten in their last three home meetings with Fenerbahce, winning two and drawing one.
This season, their form at Torku Arena has been a key strength, with Konyaspor yet to lose at home in the league, securing four wins and four draws in their last eight home games across all competitions dating to the previous campaign.
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Meanwhile, Fenerbahce come into this clash on the back of two consecutive victories, including a 2-1 triumph over Hatayspor in their first Super Lig game of 2025 and a commanding 3-0 win over Kasimpasa in the Turkish Cup.
However, their campaign has been overshadowed by controversy, with Jose Mourinho once again making headlines after the Hatayspor win, with the Fenerbahce manager suggesting in a fiery post-match interview that the Turkish Football Federation was biased in Galatasaray's favour.
Despite the off-field drama, Mourinho's men remain focused on closing the gap to their rivals, and while the Yellow Canaries boast the league's third-best away record, they have shown fragility on the road, losing two of their last six competitive away fixtures.
While Fenerbahce have displayed commendable resilience, losing just two of their last 38 Super Lig matches, their inability to string together a lengthy winning streak—particularly in comparison to Galatasaray—has been their Achilles' heel.
This inconsistency has been evident in their last five league outings, where they failed to secure victory on two occasions, highlighting the challenge of maintaining momentum in their title pursuit.
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Team News
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Konyaspor will be without key defender Adil Demirbag, who is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, leaving Ugurcan Yazgili to step in.
Midfielder Marko Jevtovic is also suspended, paving the way for Danijel Aleksic to feature in the starting lineup.
Fenerbahce face their own challenges, with Sofyan Amrabat unavailable after reaching the yellow card threshold.
Ismail Yuksek is sidelined with injury, meaning Sebastian Szymanski will start in midfield, while long-term absentee Rodrigo Becao remains out with a ligament issue.
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and defender Oguz Aydin are also on the treatment table, which means Irfan Egribayat will start in goal for the third consecutive league game.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Slowik; Ulgun, Yazgili, Bazoer, Guilherme; Jevtovic; Prip, Aleksic, Pedrinho, Ndao; Nayir
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Egribayat; Soyuncu, Djiku, Mercan; Osayi-Samuel, Fred, Yandas, Kostic; Tadic; En-Nesyri, Dzeko
We say: Konyaspor 1-2 Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce's superior firepower and pressing need to close the gap on Galatasaray should see them edge this clash, but Konyaspor's strong home record and defensive resilience could make this a closely contested affair, which is why we expect a narrow Fenerbahce victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
