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

Konyaspor will be desperate to snap their winless run when they host Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

The Anatolian Eagles began the campaign brightly with two straight wins but have since faltered, going three games without victory and losing their last two.

Match preview

Konyaspor opened the season with seven points from a possible nine, beating Eyupspor (4-1) and Gaziantep (3-0) before drawing 1-1 with high-flying Goztepe.

At that stage, it looked as though the Anatolian Eagles were on course to exceed expectations this season, but their momentum stalled with back-to-back defeats, a 2-1 loss to Alanyaspor followed by a 3-1 setback against Galatasaray.

Still, head coach Recep Ucar will not be too worried, especially as the loss to Galatasaray was no surprise; instead, he will see this as an opportunity to return to winning ways against a Basaksehir side still struggling for rhythm.

Konyaspor will take confidence from last season’s 3-2 win in this fixture, and with 10 goals scored already — joint-second in the league — they will feel well placed to take advantage of Basaksehir’s inconsistencies.

Basaksehir have endured a sluggish start, winning only once in their opening five games, and their biggest issue has been a lack of composure when ahead.

The Istanbul side have taken the lead in four matches but converted just one of those into victory, with the exception being their stalemate with Eyupspor, where neither side managed to break the deadlock.

Even so, new boss Nuri Sahin – appointed on September 13 following the dismissal of Cagdas Atan just five days earlier – will be encouraged by the early signs, with his side collecting four points from his first two matches in charge.

Sahin’s reign began with a 2-0 derby win over Fatih Karagumruk before drawing 1-1 against Alanyaspor, where Basaksehir’s recurring problem resurfaced — scoring first but failing to hold on.

Konyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Team News

Konyaspor head into this clash with a near full-strength squad, with only midfielder Ufuk Akyol carrying a doubtful status.

Turkish forward Mehmet Umut Nayir, who has netted three goals this season – including one against Galatasaray last time out – is expected to lead the line once again.

Basaksehir, meanwhile, are still without Leo Duarte due to a foot injury, while Davie Selke is a fitness concern with a muscle problem.

Uzbek forward, Eldor Shomurodov, fresh off his second goal of the season, will look to add another as he spearheads the visitors’ attack.

Konyaspor possible starting lineup:

Ertas; Yazgili, Jevtovic, Demirbag; Andzouana, Bardhi, Ibrahimoglu, Guilherme; Ndao, Muleka; Nayir

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Ebosele, Opoku, Gureler, Operi; Ozdemir; Turuc, Kemen, Crespo, Sari; Shomurodov

We say: Konyaspor 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

This clash has all the makings of a closely fought contest, with both Konyaspor and Basaksehir showing flashes of quality but lacking consistency in defence.

The hosts have been strong in attack, while the visitors under Sahin have looked more organised and difficult to beat, which could result in a share of the spoils.

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