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

In what could be a season-defining tie, relegation-threatened Eyupspor will be desperate for a positive result when they play host to Caykur Rizespor at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium in the penultimate game of the Turkish Super Lig campaign on Saturday.

While a hard-fought victory over Konyaspor last time out saw Rizespor strengthen their hold in the top half of the table, the home side find themselves just one point above the relegation zone, with a difficult final-day showdown against Fenerbahce still to come.

Match preview

A second-half equaliser from Kayserispor striker Indrit Tuci dashed Eyupspor’s hopes of a third consecutive victory last Sunday as both sides played out a 1-1 draw when they squared off at the Kadir Has Stadium.

While it was two points dropped for Eyupspor, head coach Atila Gerin will be delighted with his side’s turnaround down the decisive stretch of the season, with seven points from the last nine available giving them a fighting chance after months of mediocre results.

Prior to last weekend’s stalemate, Eyupspor snapped a run of six consecutive defeats on April 18, when they fought back from behind to snatch a 2-1 victory over Fatih Karagumruk, one week before claiming a comfortable 3-0 victory over Gaziantep at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.

This upturn in form has seen the Istanbul outfit climb out of the dreaded bottom three and into 14th place in the Super Lig table, level on 29 points with Antalyaspor in 15th and one point above 16th-placed Genclerbirligi heading into the final two matches.

Eyupspor could guarantee their safety with a win this weekend, but next up is the stern challenge of an opposing side, whom they have failed to get the better of in their previous five encounters, including four consecutive defeats since a goalless draw in October 2022.

A lack of sting in attack has been a major stumbling block for Eyupspor, who have netted the division’s joint second-fewest number of goals so far, but six of their 26 goals have come in the last three games, providing reason for optimism ahead of this weekend’s fixture.

On the other hand, Caykur Rizespor picked up three huge points in their push for a top-half finish last Friday when they fought back from behind to secure a 3-2 victory over Konyaspor at the Caykur Didi Stadium.

After falling behind through Jo Jin-ho’s 16th-minute opener, Rizespor upped the ante and replied with three straight goals courtesy of Qazim Laci, Adedire Mebude and Loide Augusto, before Yhoan Andzouana pulled one back for the visitors with a powerful strike inside the box in the 89th minute.

With that result, Rizespor have now won each of their last five home matches in the league, scoring 12 goals and keeping two clean sheets since a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Galatasaray on February 8.

A strong run of form at the business end of the season has lifted Recep Ucar’s side into eighth place in the league table, level on 40 points with Konyaspor, with three wins from their last five matches taking their season tally to 10 victories heading into the final two games.

While victory this weekend will seal Rizespor’s top-half finish for the third season running since returning to the top flight in 2023, they have struggled for results on their travels, failing to win 12 of their 13 away matches in all competitions since the start of November.

Eyupspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Eyupspor will have to cope without the services of veteran midfielder Taskin Ilter, who was forced off injured in the second half against Kayserispor last time out.

Should the club captain fail to return in time for this weekend’s tie, 20-year-old Baran Ali Gezek should get the nod at the centre of the park, forming a two-man pivot with Frenchman Charles Raux Yao.

Romanian striker Dorin Rotariu has missed the last eight matches since sustaining a severe injury back in March and the 30-year-old is also out of contention for this weekend’s hosts.

Meanwhile, Rizespor remain without Uzbekistan defender Khusniddin Alikulov, who has been ruled out since picking up a severe knee injury against Goztepe in January.

He is joined on the club’s injury table by 25-year-old forward Altin Zeqiri, who is set to sit out his sixth consecutive game through an ankle problem.

Eyupspor possible starting lineup:

Yilmaz; Calegari, Claro, Ozyurt, Meras; Gezek, Yao; Radu, Legowski, Altunbas; Bozo

Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:

Fofana; Hojer, Akaydin, Mocsi, Pala; Antalyali; Mihaila, Laci, Olawoyin, Augusto; Sowe

We say: Eyupspor 2-1 Caykur Rizespor

Eyupspor have upped the ante in recent weeks as they look to beat the drop, but they are now faced with the challenge of a Caykur Rizespor side who have won each of their last four meetings.

Rizespor boast a slightly superior squad on paper, but given the stakes of this weekend’s tie, we expect Eyupspor to come out guns blazing and secure all three points in front of their home supporters, with the front men delivering the goods once again.

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