Preview: Kasimpasa vs Besiktas - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams with contrasting results in their previous Turkish Super Lig outings will meet this weekend as Kasimpasa welcome Besiktas to Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.

The Apaches fell 2-0 at Eyupspor in their matchday nine fixture on Monday, while the Black Eagles were on the positive end of the same scoreline in their rescheduled round three trip to Konyaspor in midweek.

Match preview

Going five games unbeaten (W2, D3) — especially with both victories in that run coming on the road — was bound to build some belief against a struggling Eyupspor side, yet Kasimpasa came off second best in that encounter at Pendik Stadium.
Shota Arveladze delivered a scathing assessment of his side’s display, admitting they “deserved nothing from this match” after watching the Apaches fail to make any real impression in the final third, managing just three shots on target — six fewer than their hosts.
Kasimpasa have now lost four games this season, having opened the campaign with three straight defeats, and as a result, sit 12th in the standings on nine points (W2, D3, L4).
While there has been a visible upturn in results compared to their early struggles, the Apaches ironically looked sharper in attack during those first three outings, averaging a point per match, than in the following six where that figure dipped to 0.8 per outing.
All signs point to Arveladze’s men tightening up defensively during that latter stretch, conceding just five after shipping six in thsoe opening three — but the trade-off has come at the other end, where a return of eight leaves Kasimpasa with a better attacking record than only three teams in the division, while their 11 conceded ranks better than just eight others.
With the clear need being to find balance at both ends, Kasimpasa also aim to end a torrid run on home soil, having last won a league match at Erdogan six months ago during a stretch of seven games (D3, L4).

While Besiktas will look to capitalise on their hosts’ ongoing struggles at home, recent meetings with Kasimpasa have offered little joy, with the Black Eagles without victory in the last four, though a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture did halt a three-game losing streak.
However, Sergen Yalcin’s men will be optimistic of putting an end to their hoodoo against the Apaches after halting a two-game winless spell (D1, L1) with that success at Konyaspor, thanks to goals in either half from Wilfred Ndidi and Tammy Abraham .
Besiktas enter this encounter sitting sixth in the standings on 16 points from eight matches (W5, D1, L3), just one point shy of the European places, though results have varied at both ends of the pitch.
The Black and Whites have struck 15 times in the Super Lig this season — only leaders Galatasaray have scored more — yet they have conceded 11, with only Gaziantep (14) and Konyaspor (14) letting in more among teams in the upper half of the table.
It is worth noting that Besiktas have kept clean sheets in two of their last three away games — both ending in victories — with the other being a 1-1 draw against the mighty Galatasaray, marking a notable upturn on the road after losing their first two league travels of the season.

Kasimpasa Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Team News

Attacking midfielder Haris Hajradinovic has missed Kasimpasa’s last two games due to fitness concerns and is expected to sit this one out as well.
Fresh concerns have also emerged, with striker Pape Habib Gueye and winger Mortadha Ben Ouanes absent last time out, and Arveladze confirmed after the game that both were sidelined through injury, leaving their availability this weekend uncertain.
If the pair fail to recover in time, Mamadou Fall should retain his position on the left flank, while Kubilay Kanatsizkus is likely to lead the line once again, though Yusuf Barasi could be handed a starting opportunity after Arveladze’s criticism of his side’s attacking display last time out.
Rafa Silva will be a major miss, with confirmation that the midfielder — who has five goals and one assist in the Super Lig this season — was withdrawn with a calf problem in the 57th minute of the previous outing and was absent from training during the week.
On a brighter note, Yalcin now has a larger pool of players to select from, with Cengiz Under, Vaclav Cerny, Jota Silva, Gokhan Sazdagi and Tiago Djalo all available after being ineligible for the Konyaspor clash, having not joined the squad at the time of the originally scheduled date.
El Bilal Toure, who was also ineligible for that game and missed the match before through a knock, will face a late fitness test to determine his availability.

Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:

Gianniotis; Frimpong, Szalai, Opoku, Wrinck; Baldursson; Fall, Ustundag, Kol, Diabate; Barasi

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Bulut, Paulista, Topcu, Yilmaz; Kocku, Ndidi; Sahin, Ucan, Rashica, Abraham

We say: Kasimpasa 1-2 Besiktas

This fixture has produced goals at both ends in each of the last six meetings, and a similar outcome is expected here, though Besiktas appear well placed to end their winless run against Kasimpasa given their improved away form, with the home side’s struggles on their own patch further strengthening that cause.

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