Preview:Istanbul Basaksehir vs Trabzonspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Istanbul Basaksehir and Trabzonspor will close out gameweek 13 of the Turkish Super Lig as both teams square off at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Monday evening.
The hosts are aiming to bounce back from the defeat at Genclebirligi just before the international break, while the visitors are looking to halt a two-game winless spell.

Match preview

For the first time since conceding to Leroy Sane’s winner in a 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray, the Basaksehir rearguard was breached when Thalisson Kelvin opened the scoring for Genclebirligi in the 35th minute last time out.
With a clean sheet streak of three games already snapped - roughly 340 minutes between Sane’s strike and Kelvin’s goal - an unbeaten sequence was what remained to protect, but Eldor Shomurodov’s equaliser offered little relief as the Grey Owls eventually fell 2-1 in Ankara.
Still, Nuri Sahin would take encouragement from an improved display, with Basaksehir gathering seven points from their last four outings, one more than the entire return across their opening eight matches of the campaign.
The Grey Owls’s tally of 13 points places the side 12th in the Super Lig standings, four points above the relegation zone, so the mission here is to secure a win and create a healthier cushion to avoid any late-season scrap.
Getting the desired result on Monday could once again rest on defensive resilience for Basaksehir, whose three victories in the campaign have all arrived with clean sheets, while the Istanbul outfit have conceded in only two of the seven league games they did not lose.
The Grey Owls have struggled for wins on their own turf this term, with just one victory from five Super Lig outings (D3, L1), although that came in their most recent home appearance in a 1-0 triumph over Kocaelispor.

Trabzonspor, on the other hand, have excelled on their travels, collecting 10 points from an available 15, so there is every reason for optimism here, especially with a great deal of success enjoyed on visits to Istanbul this season.
The Claret-Blues recorded victories at Kasimpasa (1-0) and Fatih Karagumruk (4-3) and even held reigning champions Galatasaray to a goalless draw at Rams Park, while only at Fenerbahce (1-0) did Fatih Tekke’s men depart empty-handed from the aforementioned region.
There is little doubt that Trabzonspor will look to extend such impressive momentum as the team face opponents they have defeated in the last four meetings across all competitions with clean sheets in each, including two on the road – last season’s corresponding fixture ending in a 3-0 win.
That said, Tekke’s men had to settle for a 1-1 home draw against Alanyaspor before the break, with Paul Onuachu’s early strike cancelled out in the 73rd minute by Ianis Hagi.
However, that stands as one of the few occasions in which Trabzonspor have fallen short of expectations in an excellent campaign that sees the team currently third on 25 points (W7, D4, 1L), just four off the summit.

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Trabzonspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Basaksehir are expected to remain without Christopher Operi, so right-footed full-back Omer Ali Sahiner should once again fill in on the left flank of defence.
Midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev is doubtful for this encounter after missing the last five games, while Yusuf Sari is also touch and go with what appears to be a knock from international duty.
Basaksehir will look to Shomurodov up front, with the centre-forward currently the joint top scorer in the league on seven goals alongside Trabzonspor’s Onuachu, who will also aim to cause trouble for the Grey Owls’s defence.
Arseniy Batagov is a doubt for the visitors after missing the last outing due to injury, while Stefan Savic could also sit out a second successive match because of fitness concerns.
Anthony Nwakaeme remains sidelined until the second half of the season with a long-term muscle issue, while Benjamin Bouchouari serves a ban for a second consecutive game after his red card against Galatasaray.
Boran Baskan and Salih Malkocoglu remain suspended due to a betting scandal, so neither is expected to feature, although the former is also injured.

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Bulut, Duarte, Opoku, Sahiner; Ozdemir, Gunes; Sari, Crespo, Costa; Shomurodov

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Onana; Pina, Yokuslu, Baniya, Eskihellac; Oulai, Jabol-Folcarelli; Zubkov, Augusto, Olaigbe; Onuachu

We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-2 Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor appear the favourites heading into this encounter given a stronger campaign and dominance in recent meetings with Basaksehir, and there is every chance the visitors leave Istanbul with smiles once again.

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