Preview: Antalyaspor vs Gaziantep - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams struggling for form will raise the curtain on round 26 of the Turkish Super Lig on Friday evening, when Antalyaspor welcome Gaziantep to Corendon Airlines Park.

The Scorpions head into the clash without a win in their last four competitive matches (1D, 3L) — three of which have come in the league (1D, 2L) — while the Falcons are also enduring a difficult spell, going five games without victory (2D, 3L), including four in the Super Lig (2D, 2L).

Match preview

Antalyaspor are gradually being pulled into the relegation battle, with the Scorpions now sitting just three points above the drop zone as the final nine league matches of the season approach.

Sami Ugurlu’s side have managed only one win in their last six Super Lig outings (2D, 3L) and are currently on a three-game winless run – however, their 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce — where they surged into a two-goal lead before being pegged back — did offer a glimpse of encouragement.

Unfortunately for the Antalya outfit, they failed to build on that momentum, with a 2-0 home defeat to Samsunspor in the Turkish Cup followed by a narrow 1-0 league loss away to Caykur Rizespor last weekend.

Home form, however, has offered some reassurance for Ugurlu’s men, with Antalyaspor unbeaten in their last four league matches at Corendon Airlines Park (2W, 2D), and they will hope that record provides the platform to return to winning ways.

That said, recent meetings with Gaziantep have not been kind to the hosts, as the Scorpions have drawn one and lost two of their last three encounters with the Falcons, including a 3-2 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier this season, where a late comeback ultimately fell short.

The visitors will be aiming to complete their first-ever league double over Antalyaspor, although their own form offers little cause for optimism despite their relatively comfortable mid-table position in 10th.

Burak Yilmaz’s side have won just one of their last 12 league matches (5D, 6L) and arrive in Antalya without a victory in their previous four Super Lig games (1D, 3L) with their most recent outing ending in a frustrating 1-1 draw at home against bottom side Fatih Karagumruk.

Defensive frailties have been a major issue for the Falcons this season, with only the league’s bottom two sides, Kayserispor and Fatih Karagumruk (46) conceding more goals than Gaziantep’s tally of 41.

Interestingly, the visitors have been slightly more resilient on their travels, with 19 of those goals have come away from home, and while they have conceded only four goals in six visits to Antalyaspor, they have never managed to win at this venue, drawing four and losing two.

Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Antalyaspor form (all competitions):

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

Gaziantep form (all competitions):

Team News

Antalyaspor have no confirmed absentees ahead of this clash, although Lautaro Giannetti remains a doubt after sustaining a muscle injury earlier this month, while creative midfielder Ramzi Safuri is also uncertain and will be assessed ahead of kick-off.

Meanwhile, Erdogan Yesilyurt remains inactive and unavailable for selection, limiting the options available to the coaching staff.

The hosts have struggled defensively of late, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last nine matches, which could influence Ugurlu’s selection at the back – however, the central defensive partnership of Huseyin Turkmen and Veysel Sari is expected to continue.

Gaziantep, on the other hand, are dealing with a number of significant absences, as Ali Mevran Ablak and Salem M’Bakata remain sidelined with long-term cruciate ligament injuries.

Tayyip Talha Sanuc will also miss this match through suspension due to accumulated yellow cards.

Further concerns include injuries to Badou Ndiaye and Kevin Rodrigues, both of whom remain unavailable, while the fitness of forward Denis Dragus is still uncertain as he continues to manage a muscle strain.

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Julian; Balci, Turkmen, Sari, Paal; Dikmen, Ceesay; Ballet, Storm, Sinik; Van de Streek

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Gorgen; Perez, Abena, Mujakic, Sangare; Kozlowski, Maxim; Gassama, Camara, Lungoyi; Bayo

We say: Antalyaspor 1-1 Gaziantep

Both sides arrive in poor form, which could make this a tense and cagey encounter, though Antalyaspor’s recent resilience at home may give them a slight edge, but Gaziantep’s attacking quality means they are capable of causing problems.

With both teams struggling defensively and desperate to halt their poor runs, chances could emerge at both ends – however, neither side appears convincing enough to claim all three points, and a closely contested draw looks the most likely outcome here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.