On Sunday afternoon, Istanbul Basaksehir face off against Konyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu.
Istanbul Basaksehir head into this clash after a thrilling end to their last match, when they defeated Kasimpasa 3-1 with two stoppage-time goals, while Konyaspor were beaten by Ankaragucu 1-0 in their previous outing.
Match preview
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Istanbul Basaksehir will have one eye on retaining a place in the Europa Conference League, as they currently lie in fourth position in the Turkish Super Lig.
With only three points separating them from Adana Demirspor in sixth position and with a one-point deficit to Besiktas, it will be crucial for them to secure three points in this fixture after suffering a defeat recently at the hands of Trabzonspor.
Another two dropped points seemed on the horizon for Istanbul Basaksehir in their last fixture against Kasimpasa, as they were heading into stoppage time in a 1-1 stalemate.
However, in the dying moments of the game, a penalty was awarded in favour of Istanbul Basaksehir, which was dispatched by Deniz Turuc. Two minutes later the three points were a certainty, as Patryk Szysz scored their third goal of the match sending the away fans into jubilation.
This time around Emre Belozoglu will expect a more comfortable performance from his side against Konyaspor and will be expecting a more defensively resolute performance, as his side have not kept a clean sheet in any of their previous five fixtures.
Istanbul Basaksehir have a strong head-to-head record against Konyaspor, having only been defeated by their opponents three times in their history.
Meanwhile, Konyaspor have been on a downward spiral in the league, as they are currently without a win in their previous five league matches.
A lack of defensive discipline has cost them in recent matches, conceding 10 goals in their last five games. However, Konyaspor have been in good scoring form as of late, having scored eight goals in those previous five matches.
Konyaspor have drawn nine of the 19 games that they have played in the Super Lig this season, showing that they do have the ability to compete with their opponents but lack the ability to get over the line in games.
In their previous fixture they were defeated 1-0 at home by Ankaragucu, with Ghayas Zahid scoring the only goal of the game and conveying that it may take time for Aleksandar Stanojevic's style to translate onto the pitch.
It is likely that Konyaspor will set up in a compact shape and will concede possession to their opponents as Istanbul Basaksehir enjoy a more possession-dominant style.
Team News
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Emre Belozoglu is expected to only make one change to the side that was victorious against Kasimpasa last weekend.
After serving his suspension Stefano Okaka will likely make his return to the starting lineup to replace Philippe Keny up top for Istanbul Basaksehir.
Lucas Biglia is back in training but will not be fit enough to return to the side yet, with Mahmut Tekdemir set to keep his place in the starting XI.
Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Francis Nzaba will not be available for selection as they have left the club.
Konyaspor are also expected to only make one change to the lineup that lost against Ankaragucu in their previous matchup.
Ahmet Oguz has picked up an accumulation of yellow cards and will serve a one-match suspension, with Cebrail Karayel likely to replace him at right-back.
Amir Hadziahmetovic and Muhammet Demir are currently unavailable as they have both picked up minor injuries, with Bruno Paz expected to keep his place in the side.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Babacan; Sahiner, Duarte, Touba, Lima; Tekdemir; Turuc, Aleksic, Ozcan, Gurler; Okaka
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Sehic; Karayel, Calvo, Demirbag, Guilherme; Dikmen, Paz; Michalak, Cekici, Bytyqi; Diouf
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 Konyaspor
We believe that Istanbul Basaksehir will be the dominant side in this match and unlike in their last fixture will finish the chances that they create from open-play situations.
We think that Konyaspor will struggle to contain Istanbul Basaksehir's attacking qualities and will subsequently extend their streak without a win in the league to six games.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
