Preview: Antalyaspor vs Goztepe SK - prediction, team news, lineups

Antalyaspor welcome Goztepe SK to Corendon Airlines Park on Sunday afternoon, aiming to arrest a worrying slide against the Turkish Super Lig’s most stubborn defence.

The Scorpions are winless in their last two matches and have conceded the third-most goals (23) in the division, while the visitors arrive with a reputation for defensive excellence and growing confidence.

Match preview

Antalyaspor’s early promise has long faded, with just one win in their last eight league outings following three victories in their first five.

Their most recent outing — a goalless draw away to Konyaspor in which they failed to produce a single shot on target — offered a point but little reassurance, though it continued a trend of improved away returns, with 10 of their 14 points earned on the road.

Home form remains the major concern, with only Kasimpasa (3) taking fewer points at home than their four, and no side except Kayserispor (18) has conceded more home goals than Antalyaspor’s worrying total of 16.

Adding to their difficulties, they have not beaten Goztepe in their last five league meetings (2D, 3L), a run that casts further doubt on their ability to turn momentum around in Antalya.

Goztepe, meanwhile, continue to thrive on their defensive solidity, as Stanimir Kolev Stoilov’s side possess the strongest backline in the division, with just six goals conceded and a league-high nine clean sheets.

Their away form has been mixed, with three wins, two draws and two defeats, but they remain a disciplined, hard-to-break unit, and that has served as a foundation for them currently occupying fifth place.

They arrive unbeaten in three matches, though they, too, were held to a lacklustre goalless draw last time out without registering a shot on target.

Even so, their defensive platform gives them confidence heading into every game, but their challenge now is improving the attacking productivity that has delivered just four goals in their last five outings.

Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Antalyaspor form (all competitions):

Goztepe SK Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Antalyaspor continue to be without young forward Kerem Kayaarasi, who is serving a 45-day suspension related to the betting scandal.

Erdogan Yesilyurt remains sidelined with a long-term injury, while goalkeeper Julian Cuesta is still short of match fitness, and Soner Dikmen misses out through yellow-card accumulation.

Georgiy Dzhikiya is likely to remain unavailable after missing the previous match through injury, and although Bahadir Ozturk has resumed training following a muscle issue, he has not yet been cleared to return.

Goztepe travel without Ugur Yildiz and Furkan Malak, who are both suspended due to their involvement in the ongoing betting scandal.

Defender Furkan Bayir has missed the last three matches with injury and remains doubtful for this fixture.

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Yigiter; Balci, Turkmen, Ceesay, Sari, Paal; Omur, Saric, van de Streek; Boli, Storm

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:

Lis; Altikardes, Heliton, Bokele; Cherni, Dennis, Miroshi, Teixeira; Bekiroglu; Juan, Janderson

We say: Antalyaspor 0-1 Goztepe SK

Goztepe’s defensive organisation makes them the more reliable side here, especially against an Antalyaspor team that struggles badly at home and continues to leak goals.

While the visitors have their own attacking limitations, their structure, discipline and clean-sheet record give them a strong foundation, and the home side’s lack of creativity and poor home form make an upset unlikely unless they show dramatic improvement.

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