Preview: Antalyaspor vs. Konyaspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Antalyaspor's first home game of the season sees them host Konyaspor in the Super Lig's weekend opener on Friday night.

Both sides dropped points on the opening weekend, so the two will be keen to improve on ultimately disappointing starts.

Match preview

After limping over the line to survival last season, Antalyaspor continued that poor form with another defeat last weekend.

Antalyaspor failed to win any of their final five games in last season's Super Lig run-in - scoring just twice.

That woeful finish saw them almost get caught by the cluster of sides that contested the relegation battle - finishing just one point clear of trouble.

Nuri Sahin's side have started this season with another loss without scoring too, going down 1-0 at Trabzonspor.

It was a tight encounter against the 2021-22 Turkish champions, but Stefano Denswil's early goal is what separated the sides.

Konyaspor were solid but unspectacular last season, finishing comfortably in mid-table.

This campaign has started in similar fashion, drawing at home against nine-man Istanbulspor last week.

Konyaspor also had Adil Demirbag dismissed in a bad-tempered affair, but they were ultimately fortunate to escape with a point.

That is due to Istanbulspor's Emir Gultekin's inability to convert a 93rd-minute penalty, which would have snatched all three points for the visitors.

It rounded off a dramatic finale to the match, after Sokol Cikalleshi had already netted a late equaliser for Konyaspor.

After an opening day 1-1 draw, Konyaspor now face a side who they drew both encounters 1-1 with last season.

Team News

Antalyaspor are expected to have no absentees ahead of this clash, with plenty of their new faces set to feature again.

An overhaul at the club has seen Antalyaspor sign a brand new front three, all of whom started last week.

Zymer Bytyqi is back in Turkey after six frustrating months at Olympiacos, while Adam Buksa has arrived on loan from French club Lens.

The versatile Erdogan Yesilyurt makes up the new-look front three after coming in from Sivasspor, while Britt Assombalonga and Gerrit Holtmann also made debuts off the bench in Trabzon.

After losing key men Haji Wright, Fernando and Houssam Ghacha, Sahin's new acquisitions will have to hit the ground running.

Konyaspor will be without defender Demirbag after his sending off against Istanbulspor last weekend.

Francisco Calvo is also out injured at the back, so Ugurcan Yazgili may be the man to come in and deputise.

Albanian attacker Cikalleshi is back after a loan spell in Saudi Arabia and scored their only goal last week.

Cikalleshi is currently filling in for the injured Muhammet Demir and scored 10 goals for Konyaspor during the 2021-22 season.

Alexandru Cicaldau made his debut on the opening weekend after recently arriving on loan from champions Galatasaray, but he may remain as a substitute here.

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Helton Leite; Balci, Ozturk, Toprak, Vural; Kaluzinski, Rakip, Larsson; Yesilyurt, Buksa, Bytyqi

Konyaspor possible starting lineup:

Bernardoni; Oguz, Demirtas, Yazgili, Haubert; Dikmen, Bruno Paz, Malli; Cikalleshi, Muric, Moreno

We say: Antalyaspor 1-1 Konyaspor

Despite the gulf in league positions last season, not much separated the sides on the pitch, and a similar encounter could play out here.

Both teams have goals in their side, but neither made a wholly positive start, so it is set to be a close, competitive battle.

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