Sivasspor will be looking to end a disappointing 2022-23 Super Lig campaign on a positive note when they host Kayserispor on Tuesday afternoon.
The home side sit 14th in the table, boasting 40 points from their 35 league games this season, while Kayserispor occupy ninth, two points behind eighth-placed Fatih Karagumruk.
Match preview
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Sivasspor secured their top-flight status for another campaign courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Konyaspor on Tuesday, with Leke James netting the winner in the 17th minute of the contest in Sivas.
Riza Calimbay's side are only three points ahead of 16th-placed Giresunspor, but they have a superior head-to-head record over the team currently in the relegation zone, so their survival has already been guaranteed.
The Braves won the Turkish Cup last season to qualify for the Europa Conference League, and the team managed to reach the round of 16 before losing to finalists Fiorentina.
Sivasspor made the semi-finals of this season's Turkish Cup, meanwhile, ultimately losing 3-0 to Fenerbahce, who will take on Istanbul Basaksehir in the final next weekend.
Calimbay's team are only three points off 10th position at this stage of proceedings, so they are capable of moving up the division with a victory on Tuesday, and the Sivas-based outfit will be aiming to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time since the end of April.
Kayserispor, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Ankaragucu, which made it three losses in a row in the Turkish Super Lig.
Cagdas Atan's side have not been victorious in the league since the end of April, picking up just one point from the last 12 available, but they still sit in ninth position in the table.
Kayserispor are two points behind eighth-placed Fatih Karagumruk, so they could move up a spot with a victory in this match, which would be a big improvement on last season's 14th.
Atan's team have picked up 20 points from their 16 away league games this term, and they will be visiting a Sivasspor outfit that have collected only 18 points from their 16 matches in front of their own supporters.
Kayserispor recorded a 4-1 victory over Sivasspor when the two teams met in the reverse match earlier this season, but Sivasspor ran out 2-1 winners in the corresponding game last term.
Team News
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Sivasspor will again be without the services of Max Gradel and Ziya Erdal through injury on Tuesday, while Samuel Saiz is suspended following his booking against Konyaspor last time out.
The home side have no fresh concerns entering this match, and it would not be a surprise to see head coach Calimbay select close to the same XI from the team's last game.
Clinton N'Jie is likely to be the player to benefit from Saiz's absence, while there will be another start for James, who struck the winner in the team's last game against Konyaspor.
Kayserispor, meanwhile, will be unable to call upon Emrah Bassan, Lionel Carole or Nurettin Korkmaz, with the trio on the sidelines due to fitness problems.
The visitors will also be missing defensive midfielder Yaw Ackah through suspension.
Mame Thiam has been in impressive form during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring eight goals in all competitions, and the 30-year-old will again feature in an attacking position for the visitors.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Goutas, Osmanpasa, Ciftci; Ulvestad, Charisis, Arslan; Yesilyurt, James, N'Jie
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Sazdagi, Hosseini, Kolovetsios, Attamah; Uzodimma, Gezek, Kemen, Mane; Thiam, Gavranovic
We say: Sivasspor 1-1 Kayserispor
There has not actually been a draw between these two sides since February 2018, with the last nine league meetings producing a winner. However, with both teams only having pride to play for, we are not expecting a classic, and a tight contest could end with the spoils being shared.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
