Unbeaten in three consecutive top-flight matches, Sivasspor will do battle against Konyaspor at the Yeni 4 Eylul Stadyumu on Saturday in round 34 of the 2023-24 Turkish Super Lig season.
The away side, meanwhile, make the trip this weekend aiming to arrest a slump in form which has seen them lose two of their last three games.
Match preview
Sivasspor were denied a third league victory on the bounce as they played out a thrilling 2-2 stalemate against Fenerbahce on Monday evening.
Bulent Uygun's men trailed 1-0 and 2-1 to strikes from Fred and Irfan Kahveci but managed to restore parity on either occasion through Fode Koita and Rey Manaj.
Consequently, the Braves remain 10th in the Turkish Super Lig table, and are closing in on securing a top-half finish heading into the final knockings of the campaign.
Lying in store next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who have recorded only one victory from the last five editions of this fixture.
However, that solitary win did come in the most recent encounter back in February when Saturday's hosts suffered a 1-0 exit in the Turkish Cup.
Konyaspor fell to a comprehensive 2-0 defeat against Alanyaspor when the teams faced off at the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium on Saturday.
Fahrudin Omerovic's men saw their resistance broken on the stroke of half time through Florent Hadergjonaj before Carlos Eduardo put the result beyond doubt late on.
With 36 points amassed from their 33 league outings this term, the Anatolian Eagles sit 15th in the standings, just two points clear of relegation danger.
Having picked up seven of the last nine points up for grabs on the road, Saturday's visitors have proven themselves to be a tough nut to crack on the road of late.
Team News
Fode Koita and Ugur Ciftci are both ineligible to play any part for Sivasspor this weekend as they prepare to serve a one-game suspension.
The home side will also have to navigate the absences of Hakan Arslan and Azizbek Turgunboev who continue to nurse respective groin injuries.
Konyaspor duo Teenage Hadebe and Ugurcan Yazgili are both suspended having crossed the yellow-card threshold for a one-game ban last time out.
Ogulcan Ulgun was hauled off with an injury scare against Alanyaspor, and the 25-year-old's involvement here currently hangs in the balance.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Okumus, Paluli, Poungouras, Appindangoye, Camara; Menig, Elmaz, Akdag, Bassan; Manaj
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Ertas; Oguz, Demirbag, Damjanovic, Guilherme; Dikmen, N'Zonzi; Ndao, Cicaldau, Ethemi; Sambou
We say: Sivasspor 1-0 Konyaspor
Sivasspor have been on a roll heading into this weekend's contest and will be confident of getting the job done on their own patch. We are backing the hosts to just about see off the threat of their visitors and come away with maximum points in the end.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adepoju Marvellous
