Title hopefuls Fenerbahce are set to host relegation threatened Gaziantep on Monday at Ulker Stadium in their 13th Turkish Super Lig match of the season.
The home team beat Kayserispor 6-2 on November 23 and their tally of 29 points means they come into Monday's clash five points behind league leaders Galatasaray, while the visitors are seventh last with 15 points from 12 games and defeated Istanbul Basaksehir 3-0 last Saturday.
Match preview
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Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce led 3-0 after just 26 minutes against Kayserispor, but their opponents netted twice by the 56th minute and made the second half an uncomfortable affair.
The Yellow Canaries have scored 33 times and conceded 11 times in the top flight this season, and this makes them the division's joint best offensive and joint best defensive team.
Mourinho's side came from behind on Thursday in the Europa League to beat Slavia Prague 2-1, and the result means the club are now 15th in the Europa League table with eight points after five matchdays.
Fenerbahce are in outstanding form having won five of their last six games, and they have only lost on three occasions in their 21 fixtures this term.
The hosts have triumphed in six of their nine home games in 2023-24, including three of their four most recent outings at Ulker Stadium.
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Meanwhile, Gaziantep are just three points from 16th-placed Kayserispor, who occupy the division's final relegation spot.
GFK were deserving winners against Istanbul Basaksehir considering the victors created over two xG and produced three big chances compared to their opponents' 0.97 xG and two big chances.
Boss Selcuk Inan's side have netted 18 and conceded 18 goals in the Super Lig, and these returns are the top flight's joint eight-best offensive and joint eighth-best defensive records.
Inan's team are in good form given they have achieved victory in three of their past four fixtures, losing just once in their six most recent games.
However, the visitors' record on the road is alarming, with the club having failed to win any of their last five matches away from home, succumbing to defeat four times in that period.
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Team News
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The hosts are set to be without centre-back Caglar Soyuncu until the middle of December, while defender Jayden Oosterwolde will not return from injury this season.
Expect to see Mourinho field a backline consisting of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Samet Akaydın, Alexander Djiku and Filip Kostic.
Midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas is also ruled out, and this could mean that Sofyan Amrabat and Fred are selected to start in a double pivot.
As for Gaziantep, they will only be without left-back Godfrey Stephen, so perhaps Mustafa Eskihellac may start on the left of a back four alongside defenders Salem M'Bakata, Arda Kizildag and Ertugrul Ersoy.
Deian Sorescu, Badou Ndiaye and Kacper Kozlowski could feature in a midfield three behind a frontline of Alexandru Maxim, Halil Dervisoglu and Christophe Lungoyi.
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Osayi-Samuel, Akaydın, Djiku, Kostic; Amrabat, Fred; Tadic, Yandas, Aydın; En-Nesyri
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Dioudis; M'Bakata, Kizildag, Ersoy, Eskihellac; Sorescu, Ndiaye, Kozlowski; Maxim, Dervisoglu, Lungoyi
We say: Fenerbahce 4-1 Gaziantep
While both sides are in good form and will be confident of achieving positive results ahead of kickoff, Gaziantep have struggled on the road in recent weeks.
Additionally, given Fenerbahce's excellent showings in front of goal, it would not be surprising if they scored multiple goals on Monday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
