Round five of the 2-24-45 Turkish Super Lig season will kick off with Sivasspor hosting Gaziantep at the New Sivas 4 Eylul Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts are entering this match following two consecutive defeats, while the visitors, who have played only two matches, are also coming off a loss.
Match preview
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Sivasspor have struggled to start the 2024-25 Super Lig campaign, currently sitting in 10th place with four points from their first four games.
A goalless draw with Trabzonspor on the opening weekend was followed by a 2-1 away win at Kayserispor, suggesting that Sivas were poised for a solid season.
However, a 1-0 home defeat to Eyupspor and a 2-0 loss on the road to Besiktas just before the international break have dampened that optimism.
Next in line for Bulent Uygun's side is the challenge of bouncing back with a win when they host Gaziantep, a side they have historically dominated.
The Yigidos have won nine of 16 matches against the visitors, losing just three, while they are unbeaten in the last five encounters between them, winning three and drawing two.
Nevertheless, failing to win any of their last two matches on home soil will raise questions about their ability to secure a victory in this match.
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Gaziantep kicked off the season with a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Bodrumspor but were unable to build on that, losing 1-0 to Samsunspor in their first home game of the season.
The Falcons conceded early in the fifth minute and were unable to find a way back into the game, suffering their first defeat of the season and dropping to 13th place with three points from two matches.
Selcuk Inan's side were also in action during the international break, salvaging a 1-1 draw with Algerian side Kabylie, making it two consecutive matches without a win across all competitions for Gaziantep.
Still searching for their first away win at Sivasspor, Gaziantep will hope they can build on their three-match winning streak on the road dating back to the previous season.
Team News
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Sivasspor will enter this match without Queensy Menig and Alaaddin Okumus, who are sidelined with back and ankle injuries, respectively, with their return expected later this month.
Mehmet Albayrak is also sidelined as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, with his anticipated return in April.
Gaziantep has a clean bill of health heading into this clash, offering Inan a full squad to choose from.
Quentin Daubin will rejoin the team after missing the last match due to a suspension from his red card in the season opener against Bodrum.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Sundberg, Radakovic, Camara; Charisis; Bieganski, Pritchard, Turgunboev, Ciftci; Manaj
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Dioudis; Sorescu, Kizildag, Ersoy, Artan; Maxim, Stephen, Kozlowski; Eskihellac, Kodro, Mandouki
We say: Sivasspor 1-1 Gaziantep
Sivasspor have enjoyed playing this fixture over the years and are unbeaten in their last five matches against Gaziantep. However, the visitors are enjoying a good run on the road, which is why we expect them to get a draw here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
