Preview: Kayserispor vs Eyupspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Kayserispor will welcome Eyupspor to the Kadir Has Stadium on Sunday, with both sides locked in a tense relegation battle as the Turkish Super Lig season approaches its decisive final weeks.

The hosts sit inside the drop zone and are running out of time to climb to safety, while the visitors are only marginally better off, hovering just above the relegation line and desperate to avoid being dragged further into trouble.

Match preview

Kayserispor come into this fixture in a precarious position, currently 17th in the table with 26 points from 31 matches, leaving them two points from safety with only three games remaining.

Their campaign has been undermined by a lack of defensive solidity and attacking output, having scored just 23 goals all season — the lowest tally in the division — while also conceding heavily at the other end (57), the most in the league.

However, Kayserispor gave themselves a lifeline with a 2-0 home victory over Caykur Rizespor last time out, ending a three-match streak in which they conceded nine goals and failed to find the net.

If they are to avoid relegation, the Kayseri side must begin to string together wins immediately — something they have failed to do all season.

With two home matches and one away fixture left to play, the Anatolian Star must make their home advantage count.

First on the list is Sunday’s clash with Eyupspor, a fixture they have drawn in all three previous top-flight meetings, including a 1-1 stalemate earlier in the campaign.

Eyupspor, meanwhile, are only slightly better placed, sitting 16th with 28 points — just above the relegation zone on goal difference — a stark contrast to their impressive debut season in the top flight last year.

There are, however, signs of improvement at a crucial stage of the campaign, as the visitors arrive on the back of consecutive league victories, including a 3-0 win over Gaziantep and a 2-1 success against Fatih Karagumruk, results that have significantly boosted their survival hopes.

That recent upturn could prove decisive in such a tightly contested relegation battle - still, their away form remains a concern, with performances on the road lacking consistency throughout the campaign.

Only three teams have picked up fewer away points than Eyupspor’s 12 this season, though there will be belief after their 2-1 win at Fatih Karagumruk — and they now face one of the division’s most vulnerable sides.

Kayserispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Eyupspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Kayserispor are expected to remain without Yigit Celtik, who is nursing a knee issue, and Majid Hosseini due to injury.

Kayra Cihan is still working his way back to full fitness after a long layoff, while Abdulsamet Burak remains suspended – there is, however, a boost as Lionel Carole returned to the XI last time out after a spell on the sidelines.

The hosts will once again rely on German Onugkha for goals, as he continues to lead the team’s scoring charts this season.

Eyupspor, on the other hand, have just one confirmed absentee, with Romanian forward Dorin Rotariu still sidelined since March.

Metehan Altunbas, Umut Bozok and Charles Andre Raux Yao all found the net last time out and are expected to carry the attacking threat again, while Denis Radu has been a key creative outlet in recent matches.

Both sides are likely to field largely unchanged lineups following their most recent fixtures, with continuity expected to be prioritised at this stage of the season.

Kayserispor possible starting lineup:

Bayazit; Katongo, Guler, Denswil, Carole; Bennasser, Tokoz; Makarov, Cardoso, Chalov; Onugkha

Eyupspor possible starting lineup:

Yilmaz; Calegari, Claro, Ozyurt, Mayas; Altunbas, Taskin, Legowski, Radu; Yao; Bozok

We say: Kayserispor 1-1 Eyupspor

This has all the makings of a tense relegation six-pointer where caution could outweigh ambition. Kayserispor’s desperation and home advantage may help them edge spells of the game, but Eyupspor’s recent momentum gives them a strong platform to take something from the match.

With both sides fully aware of the consequences of defeat, a draw would not be the most surprising outcome in what is likely to be a nervy and closely contested encounter.

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