Preview:Goztepe SK vs Istanbul Basaksehir - prediction, team news, lineups

Unbeaten Goztepe SK will look to protect their impressive start to the season when they host struggling Istanbul Basaksehir at the Goztepe Gursel Aksel Stadium in a Super Lig clash on Sunday evening.

Goz Goz have claimed victory in each of their last three home league meetings against the visitors and will back themselves to extend that streak, provided they can be more decisive in attack.

Match preview

Goztepe remain unbeaten after seven league outings, winning three and drawing four, with their most recent result a goalless stalemate against Eyupspor last weekend.

Stanimir Kolev Stoilov’s men boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded just twice while keeping five clean sheets, but their issues in front of goal persist.

The manager highlighted this after the Eyupspor draw, stressing that “the players up front need more confidence and must make better decisions,” as his side have missed 11 of the 19 big chances created so far this season.

Compared to this stage last campaign, Goztepe have scored fewer goals (10 to 14) but have conceded far less (2 to 9), underlining a stronger defensive base, though the slight decline in attack remains an area to improve.

Currently sitting fourth with 13 points, Goz Goz must begin turning draws into victories to keep pace with the top three, as too many shared spoils could undermine their unbeaten run.

Even so, they will fancy their chances of extending their eight-game unbeaten streak in the league, especially against a Basaksehir side still searching for rhythm, and one they dismantled 4-1 in this fixture last season.

Before this recent run of three straight defeats at Goztepe, Basaksehir had enjoyed four consecutive wins at this ground in all competitions, the last being a 3-0 triumph in March 2020 – more than five years ago.

The Grey Owls will need to improve drastically on their last outing, a 2-1 home defeat to Konyaspor despite playing with a man advantage from the 65th minute – a game manager Nuri Sahin admitted his side’s poor first-half showing left them chasing, while the club’s post-match statement pointed fingers at refereeing decisions.

That setback was the first loss under Sahin, who has overseen three games (1W, 1D, 1L), collecting four of Basaksehir’s six points so far despite being in charge for only half of their fixtures.

The focus now will be on producing an immediate response, and having already guided his side to a 2-0 away win in the Istanbul derby against Fatih Karagumruk, Sahin will believe Basaksehir can still pose a threat on the road, regardless of Goztepe’s current form.

Goztepe SK Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Team News

Goztepe suffered a major setback before the stalemate with Eyupspor, losing influential midfielder Junior Olaitan to injury, and he is expected to remain unavailable for this clash.

Winger Ogun Bayrak has yet to feature this season as he continues to recover from a shoulder problem, with his potential return date set for this month.

Nigerian midfielder Anthony Dennis has drawn praise for his recent performances and should keep his place in the midfield four, while Brazilian attackers Janderson and Juan will again be tasked with providing the finishing touch up front.

At the back, reliable centre-backs Malcom Bokele and Heliton have featured in every minute of Goztepe’s campaign so far, and they are certain to start again as part of Stoilov’s back-three system.

For Basaksehir, defender Leonardo Duarte and forward Davie Selke have been sidelined for the last five games through injury, while Yusuf Sari was forced off after an hour against Konyaspor and remains a doubt.

Portuguese midfielder Miguel Crespo has been the main creative spark for the Grey Owls, registering two assists and creating the most big chances (2) for the team this season, and Sahin will once again look to him for inspiration.

Up front, Roma loanee Eldor Shomurodov remains the key figure, having scored three of Basaksehir’s six league goals so far – the Uzbek forward also leads the team for shots on target per match (1.4) and will carry much of their attacking threat.

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:

Lis; Santos, Heliton, Bokele; Kurtulan, Rhaldney, Dennis, Cherni; Bekiroglu; Janderson, Juan

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Ebosele, Opoku, Ba, Operi; Ozdemir; Brnic, Harit, Crespo, Sari; Shomurodov

We say: Goztepe SK 1-0 Istanbul Basaksehir

Goztepe and Basaksehir have not shared the spoils in any of their last six competitive meetings, and this encounter has the feel of another that could produce a winner – especially if the hosts are more clinical in front of goal.

Goz Goz have built a strong reputation at home since last season, and while they opened this campaign with back-to-back draws at the Gursel Aksel Stadium, the commanding victory over Besiktas will have only strengthened their belief.

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