Preview: Kayserispor vs Caykur Rizespor - prediction, team news, lineups

Relegation-threatened Kayserispor welcome Caykur Rizespor to the Kadir Has Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with survival on the line for the hosts.

While the hosts are fighting desperately to climb out of the bottom three, the visitors arrive in far more comfortable territory, aiming to secure a strong top-half finish.

Match preview

Kayserispor head into this fixture second from bottom, two points adrift of safety with just four matches left, leaving them with little margin for error.

Their recent form paints a worrying picture, with the Anatolian side losing their last three matches and five of their last six, managing just one win in that period.

That lone victory came in a 1-0 win over Fatih Karagumruk, but since then they have struggled badly in attack, failing to score in three consecutive matches — defeats to Kasimpasa (2-0), Fenerbahce (4-0) and most recently Gaziantep FK (3-0).

Defensively, they have been the weakest side in the division, conceding a league-high 57 goals, which continues to undermine any hopes of a late survival push.

However, there is still some hope at home, as Kayserispor have picked up three of their four league wins at the Kadir Has Stadium, including two victories in their last four home matches.

They will also take encouragement from their recent record in this fixture, having won the last two meetings against Rizespor 1-0, including their only away win of the season.

© Imago / IMAGO / Seskim Photo TR

Rizespor, meanwhile, arrive in strong form and with far less pressure, sitting comfortably in mid-table and 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last three matches, picking up wins over Samsunspor (4-1) and Gaziantep (2-1), before earning an impressive 2-2 draw against title contenders Fenerbahce last time out.

In that game, Ali Sowe gave them the lead early in the second half, and despite falling behind late on, they showed resilience to snatch a stoppage-time equaliser through Modibo Sagnan.

That result underlines their recent improvement, with Recep Ucar’s side losing just two of their last nine league matches (5W, 2D), a run that has effectively secured their safety.

Kayserispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Kayserispor head into this clash with a number of absentees, as they remain without Lionel Carole, Yigit Celtik and Majid Hosseini due to injury.

Kayra Cihan is close to returning after a long injury layoff but remains a doubt for this clash, while Abdulsamet Burak is suspended.

Meanwhile, Rizespor also have some players missing, as they will be without Husniddin Alikulov and Altin Zeqiri due to injury.

They are also missing Taylan Antalyali and Loide Augusto through suspension, while Samet Akaydin is banned following his red card last time out.

Kayserispor possible starting lineup:

Bayazit; Katongo, Denswil, Guler, Brenet; Bennasser, Benes, Soyalp; Mather, Chalov, Cardoso

Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:

Fofana; Pala, Sagnan, Mocsi, Hojer; Papanikolaou; Mebude, Laci, Olawoyin, Mihaila; Sowe

We say: Kayserispor 1-2 Caykur Rizespor

Kayserispor’s urgency and home advantage could make this a competitive contest, but their lack of attacking consistency and defensive frailties remain major concerns.

Rizespor arrive in better form and with greater balance across the pitch, and we expect them to take advantage of the hosts’ struggles to secure a narrow away victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.