Preview: Fatih Karagumruk vs Fenerbahce - prediction, team news, lineups

Second-placed Fenerbahce could temporarily cut the gap to the Turkish Super Lig summit when they travel to face basement side Fatih Karagumruk in one of the opening fixtures of matchday 25 on Friday.

The Yellow Canaries sit four points behind leaders Galatasaray, who host Istanbul Basaksehir a day later, while the Black Reds are eight points adrift of safety with nine matches left to play.

Match preview

Having played second fiddle to two-time defending champions Galatasaray in the last two Super Lig campaigns, Fenerbahce find themselves in a similar situation this term, despite being the only side in the division yet to suffer a defeat.

In a title charge that has been riddled with costly stalemates, the Yellow Canaries recently failed to pick up maximum points on a weekend when the league leaders lost at Konyaspor, while another draw against Antalyaspor in their next top-flight outing widened the deficit to the summit.

However, Domenico Tedesco’s men were third time lucky last weekend - not without late drama once again - having produced a spirited comeback from a goal down to secure a 3-2 victory over Samsunspor, with Nene Dorgeles netting an 89th-minute equaliser before Sidiki Cherif struck a stoppage-time winner.

Fenerbahce have now gone five matches unbeaten across all competitions since their first-leg defeat in the Europa League playoff tie against Nottingham Forest; the run includes a 2-1 victory in the return fixture at the City Ground - which ultimately proved insufficient to avoid elimination - as well as a 4-0 win at Gaziantep to progress to the Turkish Cup quarter-finals.

That sequence means the Yellow Canaries have scored at least two goals in each of their last four outings, although they have also conceded multiple times in their two league matches during that spell, an issue Tedesco will be keen to address ahead of Friday’s trip.

However, recent history may offer encouragement for Fenerbahce, who have prevailed in each of the last five competitive meetings with this weekend’s hosts despite conceding in all of them, including a 2-1 victory in this season’s reverse fixture.

A record of eight wins in 13 league games (D5) on the road should be enough to offer an extra boost for the Yellow Canaries, who boast the best return of any travelling side in the division.

Meanwhile, only Kasimpasa (eight) have picked up fewer points on their own turf than Karagumruk (nine) in the Super Lig campaign, offering little in the way of optimism for Friday’s match.

Since returning to the top flight this season, the Black Reds have struggled, with rare victories interrupted by long winless runs, and have lost 17 of their 25 league games (W3, D5), the most in the division.

Currently without victory in their last four Super Lig matches (D2, L2), Aleksandar Stanojevic’s men played out a 1-1 draw at Gaziantep last weekend, with forward Serginho netting a second-half equaliser just four minutes after coming off the bench.

The result saw the Black Reds fail to build on their domestic cup victory against lower-division side Fethiyespor, which stands as Karagumruk’s only success in their last five games across all competitions, while a 1-0 triumph over Antalyaspor on February 7 remains their only win in the last 13 league outings (D4, L8).

Fatih Karagumruk Turkish Super Lig form:

Fatih Karagumruk form (all competitions):

Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:

Fenerbahce form (all competitions):

Team News

Karagumruk could be without defender Davide Biraschi, who was forced off last time out due to a hamstring issue, while forward Joao Camacho will continue his recovery from a knee injury that has kept him out since November.

Meanwhile, Turkish centre-back Anil Cinar is back in contention after serving a suspension last time out, and Serginho is also pushing for a return to the starting XI following his impactful display from the bench last weekend.

As for Fenerbahce, first-choice goalkeeper Ederson will play no part on Friday as he serves a one-match ban for an accumulation of bookings, meaning Mert Gunok is expected to be between the sticks.

The visitors will also remain without defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez, who has been sidelined with an ankle issue since early February, while full-back Nelson Semedo is not expected to return before April as he recovers from a knee-related injury.

Meanwhile, forward Anderson Talisca and centre-back Caglar Soyuncu both remain out for a couple more weeks due to muscle problems.

Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:

Grbic; Esgaio, Kurucuk, Lichnovsky, Mladenovic; Kranevitter, Elmaz; Verde, Ozcan, Larsson; Kalayci

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Muldur, Demir, Oosterwolde, Mercan; Guendouzi, Kante; Musaba, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Cherif

We say: Fatih Karagumruk 1-3 Fenerbahce

Signs of resilience are beginning to emerge for Karagumruk, who have gone back-to-back matches without defeat, although those results came against lower-division opposition and an out-of-form Gaziantep side.

However, facing Fenerbahce presents a completely different level of challenge, and we expect the visitors to claim all three points to pile pressure on league leaders Galatasaray, though goals at both ends remain likely given the Yellow Canaries’ defensive frailties.

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