Preview: Caykur Rizespor vs Eyupspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Caykur Rizespor will be at home to welcome Eyupspor to the Rize City Stadium in a Round 16 Turkish Super Lig clash on Saturday.

Both sides find themselves in the bottom half of the standings, with the hosts sitting 12th in the table after collecting 15 points from the same number of matches, but Eyupspor’s situation is more dire, as they are currently embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Match preview

Rizespor have endured a dreadful run in the current league campaign, with only three wins to show for their efforts after 15 games, alongside six draws and the same number of losses.

The current torrid run may not be unconnected with the decision of the erstwhile manager, Ilhan Palut, to call time on his reign in the dugout of the Black Sea Sparrowhawk, paving the way for the appointment of Recep Ucar.

That appointment appears to be the right call, following an emphatic 6–1 cup triumph over Pendikspor, which ended a three-game winless run (D1, L2), and a 1–1 draw on the road to Konyaspor, where they had suffered three losses in their previous five visits (W1, D1) offers hope of improved results in the coming days.

Although they will return to their territory for this encounter, their home form has been a source of concern, with only a couple of victories, a draw, and five losses recorded on their stomping ground so far this term.

That said, they remain unbeaten in their last two exertions at home against the visitors, with a draw and a 1–0 triumph in their last clash in April.

Orhan Ak started his reign on a positive note with a 2–0 victory over Kasımpasa in Round Nine after his appointment in October, but his team suffered three successive defeats between late October and early November, a situation which sent them spiralling down the standings.

However, Ak seems to have steadied the ship, having gone unbeaten in their last four competitive outings across the cup and league.

Nevertheless, they still find themselves neck-deep in the murky relegation water, and they will be aiming to extend their three-game unbeaten run in the league in a bid to steer themselves away from the drop zone.

Having said that, goalscoring has been their bane so far, with only 10 strikes recorded after 15 matches, a record which is the worst in the Turkish top division.

Another shortcoming for the Istanbul-based outfit is that their away form is nothing to write home about, as they have managed only one win in their last seven encounters on the road.

That said, it is important to note that the victory, a 2–1 win over Gaziantep, came in their last sojourn away from familiar territory, and as such, that could be a source of confidence for the struggling side.

Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Caykur Rizespor form (all competitions):

Eyupspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Eyupspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Caykur Rizespor have a long list of absentees in their fold, due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.

Efe Dogan is currently sidelined due to a 45-day suspension as a result of a betting scandal within the Turkish football circles, while Furkan Orak remains suspended for three months.

Khusniddin Alikulov and Taha Sahin are also suspended for this encounter due to the accumulation of yellow cards.

The visitors also have absentees of their own, with Bosnian Nihad Mujakic also suspended due to card offences.

Brazilian defender Luccas Claro is stricken with an ankle injury, and as such, he is expected to watch proceedings from the sidelines this weekend.

Similarly, Can Bayırkan is unavailable for selection due to an unspecified medical issue, while Lucas Calegari remains doubtful, as he is still on the mend from a knee problem.

Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:

Fofana; Hojer, Akaydin, Mocsi, Pala; Laci, Papanikolaou; Bulut, Olawoyin, Rak-Sakyi; Sowe

Eyupspor possible starting lineup:

Marcos Felipe; Gurler, Yalcin, Ortakaya, Akbunar; Stepanenko, Demirbay; Dragus, Akbaba, Ampem; Bozok

We say: Caykur Rizespor 1-1 Eyupspor

Eyupspor currently have their tails up, having been unbeaten across four matches in all competitions. Nevertheless, the hosts have been tough customers for the visiting side in recent times, but they have struggled over the course of the season themselves.

With that in mind, we are backing both sides to play out a 1–1 draw after regulation time.

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