Preview: BB Erzurumspor vs Eyupspor - prediction, team news, lineups

BB Erzurumspor welcome Eyupspor to Kazim Karabekir Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a Turkish Super Lig encounter between two sides experiencing very different fortunes in recent weeks.

Things are looking better for the hosts after a difficult start to the campaign, while the Eyup side are searching for a response after four successive league defeats without scoring.

Match preview

Erzurumspor head into this fixture after holding Alanyaspor to a goalless draw away from home last time out, making it two games without defeat for the newly-promoted side who had beaten Samsunspor 1-0 prior.

However, Serkan Ozbalta's side still have a lot of improvement to do, as they have been poor in attack, scoring just three goals across all their league games, though their recent defensive improvement is encouraging.

They have kept clean sheets in three of their last four matches, including successive 1-0 home victories over Samsunspor and Konyaspor and the draw with Alanyaspor, only conceding in the 3-0 defeat to Besiktas during that run.

Erzurumspor are becoming more difficult to break down and they will hope that this is enough to secure victory in their first-ever top-flight meeting with Eyupspor.

They will be encouraged by their recent results at Kazim Karabekir Stadium where they have beaten Konyaspor and Samsunspor in consecutive matches, with their only home defeat coming against Galatasaray.

Eyupspor are the only team to have scored fewer goals than Erzurumspor in the Super Lig this season, finding the net just twice, while they have conceded more than any other side (20).

They have suffered a damaging sequence of defeats, with their latest setback being a 4-0 home loss to Goztepe, which followed an 8-0 thrashing away to Fenerbahce, a 2-0 defeat against Caykur Rizespor and a 3-0 loss at Corum FK.

The scale of those results is particularly concerning because Eyupspor have failed to score in each of their last four league matches, having conceded 17 goals across that sequence, leaving their defence under considerable pressure ahead of another away assignment.

Their only league victory so far came against Alanyaspor at the end of August, when they won 2-1, which has been their only points on the board this season which has left them rooted to the bottom of the table.

Eyupspor's record against Erzurumspor offers a possible source of encouragement, having avoided defeat in their last five meetings with Saturday's opponents, recording three wins and two draws.

BB Erzurumspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Eyupspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Erzurumspor have no reported unavailable players ahead of the match, giving Ozbalta the option of maintaining the defensive structure that has helped his side collect points in recent weeks.

A back four of Guram Giorbelidze, Nihad Mujakic, Amar Gerxhaliu and Orhan Ovacikli is expected to remain, with Brandon Baiye playing right in front of them.

Eyupspor are expected to be without Abdelhamid Sabiri, who has been listed with an injury, while Ahmed Abdullahi is suspended following his dismissal against Goztepe.

Jawad El Yamiq has also been reported among the visitors' injury concerns, although his availability is expected to be checked again closer to kick-off.

BB Erzurumspor possible starting lineup:

Taskiran; Ovacikli, Gerxhaliu, Mujakic, Giorbelidze; Baiye, Owusu; Yumlu, Rodriguez, Cardoso; Tozlu

Eyupspor possible starting lineup:

Moldovan; Ulvan, Yasar, Jules, Giordano; Massanga; Michalak, Costa, Raux Yao, Boutobba; Barasi

We say: BB Erzurumspor 2-0 Eyupspor

Erzurumspor have shown enough defensive improvement at home to make them favourites against an Eyupspor side that has conceded heavily and gone four league matches without scoring.

The hosts' own attacking limitations mean a high-scoring victory is not the strongest expectation, but their recent clean sheets and the away side’s ongoing problems point towards a home win.

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