Preview: Besiktas vs Alanyaspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Besiktas will resume their push for a top-four place in the Turkish Super Lig when they welcome faltering Alanyaspor to Tupras Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Black Eagles are unbeaten in their last 12 competitive matches (7W, 5D), including nine league outings (5W, 4D), while the visitors travel to Istanbul without a Super Lig victory in their last three games (1D, 2L).

Match preview

Sergen Yalcin has quickly been hailed as a saviour by the Besiktas faithful, with a remarkable upturn in form lifting the club from eighth to fifth in the table, leaving them just three points shy of the top four.

The Black Eagles responded well to their 2-2 draw away at Eyupspor by securing a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Konyaspor last weekend, despite conceding first and playing the final 10 minutes with a man down.

That fighting spirit was on show again in midweek, when Besiktas came from behind to draw 1-1 with Kocaelispor in the Turkish Cup after falling behind to an 18th-minute penalty, as Orkun Kokcu stepped up late on to convert a spot kick of his own.

Now, Yalcin’s side will look to carry that momentum into a league fixture that offers a chance for revenge against one of the few teams to have beaten them this season.

However, Besiktas have failed to defeat Alanyaspor in their last five meetings (3D, 2L), including a 2-0 loss in the reverse fixture back in August.

That victory over the Black Eagles was Alanyaspor’s first league win this season, but their campaign has since stalled, with the Thunders managing just three further Super Lig wins while struggling to turn tight matches into victories.

Joao Pereira’s side have drawn a league-high 10 matches and lost six, leaving them 10th in the standings with 22 points after 20 matches.

Their last league triumph came in December against bottom side Fatih Karagumruk, with defeats to Fenerbahce and Eyupspor, along with a draw against Caykur Rizespor, following since then.

They did, however, enjoy a confidence-boosting result in midweek, hammering lower-league Boluspor 4-0 in the Turkish Cup — a performance they will hope can spark an upturn in league form.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Alanyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Alanyaspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Besiktas will be without El Bilal Toure – their top scorer among players left in the team – as he is suspended after accumulating yellow cards, with youngster Mustafa Hekimoglu likely starting in his place.

Kokcu is in fine form for the hosts, having scored in each of their last three matches, while he also leads the team for big chances created in the league this season (9), making him a key figure once again.

The Black Eagles were busy before the transfer window closed, adding Wolves defender Emmanuel Agbadou, midfielder Junior Olaitan and forward Hyeon-gyu Oh to their squad, taking their January arrivals to five.

Alanyaspor, meanwhile, have just one injury concern, with Bulut Buluthan sidelined by a knee problem, while Izzet Celik, Enes Keskin, Ozdemir Yusuf and Bedirhan Ozyurt all remain suspended due to betting violations.

The visitors did not make any signings in the window, although they did offload striker Uchenna Ogundu to Augsburg.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanolglu; Bulut, Djalo, Topcu, R. Yilmaz; K. Yilmaz, Kokcu; Rashica, Cerny, J. Silva; Hekimoglu

Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:

Taskiran; Akdag, Aliti, Lima; Ruan, Janvier, Makouta, Hardegjonaj; Hwang, Yalcin, Karaca

We say: Besiktas 2-0 Alanyaspor

Besiktas look well positioned to extend their strong run and tighten their grip on the top-four race, as Yalcin’s side are playing with confidence, resilience and growing attacking cohesion, while Alanyaspor continue to struggle for consistency despite their recent cup boost.

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