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

A demanding encounter awaits at Tupras Stadium on Sunday evening as fifth-placed Besiktas attempt to leapfrog fourth-placed Goztepe SK in the Turkish Super Lig table.

The Black Eagles sit on 40 points, just one behind Goz Goz on 41, and the contest is further heightened by the fact that both sides arrive in impressive form, with the hosts unbeaten in 15 matches across all competitions (9W, 6D), while the visitors have avoided defeat in their last eight (5W, 3D).

Match preview

Besiktas left it dramatically late against Istanbul Basaksehir, as substitute Mustafa Hekimoglu struck six minutes into stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory, after the opposition had equalised in the 88th minute.

That resilience reflects the significant impact Sergen Yalcin has made since returning to the club, and with Besiktas now firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish, victory here would see them move above Goztepe and strengthen their European ambitions.

The Black Eagles have not tasted defeat since losing to Fenerbahce in November and are unbeaten in 11 consecutive league matches (6W, 5D); however, Yalcin has stressed the importance of upcoming fixtures against Goztepe, Kocaelispor and Galatasaray, recognising that this period could define their season.

Despite their lengthy unbeaten run, Besiktas have not been entirely convincing at home, drawing three of their last six league games at this venue, including a 2-2 stalemate with Alanyaspor.

They also face a side they have struggled against recently, having failed to win any of their last four meetings with Goztepe (1D, 3L), making this a tricky affair for the hosts.

Defensive frailties may also concern the home side, who have gone five competitive matches without a clean sheet, often relying on their attacking firepower to outscore opponents.

Goztepe, meanwhile, will seek to exploit those vulnerabilities while maintaining the defensive discipline that has underpinned their campaign.

However, their attacking output has been a growing concern, having failed to score in their last two matches, both goalless draws against bottom-five sides, including the league’s leakiest defence, Kayserispor, and struggling Konyaspor.

Stanimir Stoilov’s side have scored the fewest goals among the current top six (27), but their league-best defence – just 12 conceded and 13 clean sheets in 22 matches – has consistently compensated.

Encouragingly for the visitors, they have enjoyed recent success against Besiktas, winning 3-0 in the reverse league fixture back in September, while they won 3-1 in the Turkish Cup and 4-2 in the league, on their last two visits to this ground.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Goztepe SK Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Besiktas are expected to remain without injured defender Taylan Bulut and Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who both missed the previous match.

Necip Uysal is nearing a return but may not yet be ready to start, while forward El Bilal Toure faces a late fitness test.

January signing Hyun-Gyu Oh has made an immediate impact with two goals and an assist in his first two league appearances, and Orkun Kokcu continued his strong form by scoring against Basaksehir.

Junior Olaitan, who joined Besiktas during the winter window, could feature against his former club for the first time, and might be out to prove a point.

Goztepe will be without defender Ismail Koybasi due to an undisclosed injury, while Efkan Bekiroglu and Juan Santos are doubts.

Brazilian forwards Juan and Jeferson, however, have returned to training after missing the draw with Kayserispor and could be available for selection.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanolglu; Sazdagi, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Asllani; Cerny, Kokcu, Olaitan, Under; Oh

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:

Lis; Allan Godoi, Heliton, Bokele; Kurtulan, Miroshi, Dennis, Cherni; Krastev; Janderson, Guilherme Luiz

We say: Besiktas 2-1 Goztepe SK

With both sides in strong form, this promises to be tight, with Besiktas having momentum and home backing at Tupras Stadium, but defensive lapses remain a concern.

Goztepe boast the league’s best defence in the Turkish Super Lig and have recent success in this fixture, but their attack limits what they can achieve in this game, leaving us to predict a narrow home win.

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