Preview: Goztepe SK vs. Galatasaray - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams embroiled in a Super Lig relegation battle will face off on Monday when Goztepe SK welcome Galatasaray to the Gursel Aksel Stadium.

The hosts sit in 16th place with a point separating them from the drop zone, while the visitors are just two points better off than their opponents.

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Match preview

Goztepe's five-year stay in the Turkish top flight is at risk of coming to an end with Monday's host currently embroiled in a relegation battle.

After ending 2021 in 19th place, Goztepe looked to have turned a corner with a five-game unbeaten league run that included four consecutive victories.

However, two back-to-back Super Lig defeats - including a 2-1 loss last time out - leaves Nestor El Maestro's side on the brink of the drop zone.

Monday's hosts made the trip to the Yeni Hatay Stadium to face Hatayspor in their most recent league contest, with goals from Mame Biram Diouf and Ayoub El Kaabi helping the hosts to victory despite Goztepe pulling a goal back through Halil Akbunar.

Ahead of the home meeting with Galatasaray, El Maestro will have concerns over a frontline that has scored just 12 goals at home in the league this season - only Altay have scored fewer at home.

The visitors, meanwhile, find themselves in an unfamiliar position down in 15th place with only three points separating them from the bottom four.

Winless in their previous six league matches, Galatasaray enter Monday's fixture off the back of consecutive 1-1 draws.

In their latest outing, Galatasaray rescued a point after Mostafa Mohamed equalised five minutes from time to ensure that their home meeting with Kayserispor ended level.

Domenec Torrent will take charge of his sixth match as Galatasaray boss on Monday with the Spaniard still searching for his first win after picking up two points from his first five games.

Galatasaray have struggled on their travels with only two away wins to their name in the league this season, and if they are to move away from danger then an improvement on the road is needed.

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Team News

Goztepe will be without the services of Marko Mihojevic and Adis Jahovic, who are both injury absentees.

Atakan Cankaya is suspended for Monday's contest due to an accumulation of yellow cards, although the hosts will welcome back Dino Arslanagic and Obinna Nwobodo, who have both served one-match suspensions.

After coming on at half time in the defeat to Hatayspor, Berkan Emir could come into the starting lineup for Monday's encounter.

Meanwhile, the visitors are without the services of Mbaye Diagne, Kaan Arslan and Fernando Muslera due to injury issues.

Sacha Boey returned to the starting lineup against Kayserispor and the 21-year-old is expected to feature at right-back once again on Monday.

After featuring as a second-half substitute last weekend to rescue Galatasaray a point, Mostafa Mohamed is set to lead the line for the visitors.

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:

Egribayat; Arslanagic, Angel, Demirtas; Paluli, Nwobodo, Aydogdu, Emir; Ndiaye, Akbunar, Di Santo

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:

Pena; Boey, Nelsson, Marcao, Van Aanholt; Feghouli, Antalyali, Kutlu; Babel, Akturkoglu, Mostafa Mohamed

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We say: Goztepe SK 1-2 Galatasaray

Despite struggling on their travels this season, Galatasaray usually fare well against Goztepe, having won the last four meetings between the sides, and we think that the visitors will edge out their hosts to move them away from the danger zone.