Fresh off the back of a historic derby victory over Besiktas, Pendikspor play host to Kasimpasa at the Pendik Stadium in round 22 of the Turkish Super Lig on Tuesday.
The Apaches made light work of Hatayspor at the weekend and will head into this one looking to pick up back-to-back league wins for the first time since October.
Match preview
Pendikspor came out victorious in a classic David versus Goliath clash as they dismantled Besiktas 4-0 in an all-Istanbul affair at the Pendik Stadium on Saturday.
No-one associated with the club could have envisaged the manner in which they stormed to victory as Mehmet Umut Nayir, Halil Akbunar, Mame Thiam and Nuno Sequeira all found the back of the net to put the Black Eagles to the sword.
Prior to that, Pendikspor were on an eight-game winless run in the league, losing five and picking up three draws since claiming successive victories over Istanbulspor and Samsunspor back in November.
Saturday's result marked the Istanbul outfit's biggest victory since beating Manisa 5-1 in the second tier back in May 2023, while also ending their run of 10 consecutive games without a clean sheet.
Head coach Ivo Vieira will hope that this can serve as a springboard for a fine run of form as his side looks to pull clear of the relegation zone and preserve their Primeira Liga status, having secured a first-ever promotion to the top flight last May.
Pendikspor have picked up four wins, seven draws and lost 10 of their 21 Super Lig matches to collect 19 points and sit 19th in the table but could move level with 14th-placed Gaziantep with all three points on Tuesday.
Kasimpasa also stopped the rot at the weekend as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Hatayspor when the sides squared off at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
Following a relatively uneventful first half, the home side upped the ante in the second period as Claudio Winck, Nuno Da Costa and Mamadou Fall scored in a 15-minute spell to hand Hatayspor their eighth defeat of the season.
This was a needed respite for Sami Ugurlu's side, who were on a three-game losing streak, including a disappointing 1-0 loss against second-tier Bandirmaspor in the Turkish Cup fifth round on January 16.
Kasimpasa have now picked up 29 points from 21 matches to sit ninth in the Super Lig table, level on points with eighth-placed Kayserispor and six points behind fourth-placed Besiktas in the Europa Conference League qualification spot.
The Apaches' biggest obstacle has been their lack of sturdiness at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have conceded 40 goals this season — the second-highest tally in the Super Lig behind Pendikspor (43).
Having failed to win five of the last six games on their travels — losing four and claiming one draw — Kasimpasa will need their A-game at the Pendik Stadium on Tuesday as they look to pick up successive league wins for the first time since seeing off Fatih Karagumruk and Sivasspor in October.
Team News
Pendikspor will take to the pitch without veteran forward Ahmed Hassan, who is currently away with Egypt at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
On the injury front, the hosts remain without 27-year-old forward Emeka Eze, who has been sidelined since August through a severe ankle problem.
Meanwhile, Kasimpasa will also have to cope without the services of centre-back Keneth Omeruo, who is away with the Nigeria national team at the AFCON.
Turkish midfielder Erdem Cetinkaya is currently recuperating from a thigh problem, while Samuel Bastien has been ruled out since October through a severe injury.
Dries Saddiki has missed each of the Apaches's last seven matches since sustaining a muscle injury in December and the Moroccan midfielder will also play no part in the midweek clash.
Pendikspor possible starting lineup:
Canpolat; Ozgenc, Ozturk, Rassoul, Sequeira; Akdag, Midtsjoe; Akbunar, Yardimci, Thiam; Nayir
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Winck, Ciftpinar, Ozcan, Ouannes; Guel, Kara; Fall, Hajradinovic, Gomis; Da Costa
We say: Pendikspor 1-1 Kasimpasa
Having both returned to winning ways at the weekend, Pendikspor and Kasimpasa will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling on Tuesday. However, both sides are evenly matched on paper and we see them cancelling out each other's efforts in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
