Preview: Hatayspor vs. Adana Demirspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides that are dreaming of a top-four finish will face off on Monday when Hatayspor welcome Adana Demirspor to the New Hatay stadium.

The hosts are looking to extend their unbeaten run to five matches, while Adana Demirspor are aiming to clinch back-to-back victories.

Match preview

Hatayspor have hit their straps in recent weeks, with Monday's hosts picking up eight points from their previous four matches.

After ending February with an emphatic 5-2 win over Yeni Malatyaspor, Omer Erdogan's side were involved in another thriller when they drew 2-2 away to Gaziantep.

The goals continued to flow in their next outing as they put three past Fatih Karagumruk to emerge victorious, before they held Besiktas to a 1-1 draw in their last fixture.

Michy Batshuayi gave Besiktas an early lead before Hatayspor hit back through Saba Lobjanidze, and with no goals forthcoming in the second half, both sides had to settle for a point apiece, leaving Hatayspor in seventh place.

Erdogan's charges return to home surroundings on Monday, and after avoiding defeat in their last five home league matches, they will be hopeful of claiming a positive result against Adana Demirspor.

The visitors, meanwhile, are a point better off than their hosts, and they enter Monday's contest in fifth position with just one point separating them from the top four.

The month of March offered mixed results for Monday's visitors with two defeats followed by a 2-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir.

A Tayyib Sanuc goal got Adana Demirspor up and running in that contest, but they were pegged back by Danijel Aleksic before Birkir Bjarnason restored his side's advantage to seal all three points.

With that victory ending a three-game winless run, Vincenzo Montella will hope that his side can use the win as a catalyst to end the season in a positive manner.

They also have a chance to claim a league double over Hatayspor after winning 1-0 against Monday's opponents in November.

Team News

Ruben Ribeiro and Onur Ergun will both miss out for the hosts, with the pair suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

The suspensions of Ribeiro and Ergun could present Selimcan Temel and Yassine Benzia with starting berths.

Having scored in his last two club appearances, Lobjanidze will enter Monday's contest in confident mood.

As for the visitors, Yunus Akgun will serve a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation.

Mario Balotelli, meanwhile, is expected to return to the starting lineup after dropping down to the bench last time out.

There could also be a place in the team for Bjarnason, who came off the bench to score the winner against Istanbul Basaksehir.

Hatayspor possible starting lineup:

Munir; Corekci, Sackey, Oksuz, Adekugbe; Boudjemaa, Temel; El Kaabi, Benzia, Lobjanidze; Diouf

Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:

Muric; Svensson, Akaydin, Sanuc, Uludag; Inler, Stambouli; Akintola, Bjarnason, Vargas; Balotelli

We say: Hatayspor 1-1 Adana Demirspor

With very little to choose between them, we expect this to be a cagey contest, and with neither side wanting to give up an inch in the race for the top four, we think the spoils could be shared on Monday.