A stuttering Caykur Rizespor will be looking to return to winning ways in the Turkish Super Lig when they take on Gaziantep at Caykur Didi Stadyumu on Sunday.
The hosts have slipped to seventh place in the league standings with nine matches left to play in the season, while the visitors are 15th and are still firmly involved in the relegation scrap.
Match preview
After securing 29 points in the first half of the season, Rizespor have experienced a notable downturn in performance, taking just 10 points in as many games in the second half of the campaign so far.
The Black Sea Sparrowhawk will head into this match off the back of a demoralizing 6-2 thumping by Galatasaray last weekend, marking their fourth loss in five league games, and that was also the third time in their last four games that they conceded three of more goals.
With just four points earned in their last seven league games, Ilhan Palut's side are now seven points behind Besiktas in the fourth and final European qualification spot and just one ahead of Antalyaspor in eighth.
However, they will gain some confidence from their home record this season, which currently reads as nine wins, three draws and just three losses in 15 games, including four clean sheets in their last five.
Up next for Rize is Gaziantep, who have been far from their best this season, although the visitors cannot be underestimated here, having won the reverse fixture 2-0 back in November.
That reverse fixture win marked Gaziantep's third consecutive victory over Rize - a record dating back to December 2021 - during which time they have outscored the Black Sea Sparrowhawk 5-0.
Since then, though, the Falcons only managed four wins, along with seven draws and seven losses in their next 18 league games, which saw them enter last weekend in the bottom four.
Despite their downward trajectory, Marius Sumudica's side put in an excellent performance last week to claim a surprise 2-0 win over Besiktas at home, which took them a point clear of the drop, and they will hope that result marks a change in their fortunes for the remainder of the campaign.
On the road this season, Gaziantep have managed to take a total of 14 points from a possible 42 with a record of four wins, two draws and eight losses, though all four of those victories were against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Team News
Rizespor are still without the services of long-term absentees Janne-Pekka Laine and Benhur Keser, who are likely to miss the remainder of the season due to injuries.
In addition, midfielder Azubuike Okechukwu is set for an extended period on the treatment table with an ACL injury, which should mean that Ogun Ozcicek will continue in the pivot in front of the back four.
Gaziantep have two absentees heading into Sunday's trip to Rize, with centre-back Ulas Zengin and midfielder Bryan Acosta both ruled out of the contest owing to injuries.
Denis Dragus has been indispensable for the visitors this season, scoring 11 of the side's 33 league goals, and he will almost certainly continue to lead the line with Alexandru Maxim playing in the number 10 role.
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Akkan; Sahin, Alikulov, Topcu, Nielsen; Sarikaya, Shelvey; Varesanovic, Olawoyin, Akintola; Minchev
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Nita; M'Bakata, N'Koulou, Djilobodji, Eskihellac; Ozcicek, Ersoy; Sorescu, Monteiro; Maxim; Dragus
We say: Caykur Rizespor 1-0 Gaziantep
While Rizespor have experienced a drop-off since the New Year, they have maintained an above-average home record, conceding only once in their last five matches at Caykur Didi Stadyumu. This should be a tight and tactical match and we feel that the first goal could easily end up being the winner.
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