Preview:Caykur Rizespor vs Istanbul Basaksehir - prediction, team news, lineups

Caykur Rizespor aim to bounce back from last weekend’s derby defeat as they welcome struggling Istanbul Basaksehir to Rize City Stadium on Wednesday for their rescheduled Super Lig game.

Originally slated for matchday three, the encounter was postponed due to Basaksehir’s continental commitments, and it arrives with the visitors desperate to end a four-game winless streak as they face hosts who were beaten by city rivals Trabzonspor over the weekend.

Match preview

Rizespor suffered back-to-back defeats in the Black Sea Derby for the first time since 2020 following last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Rize City Stadium.

A sluggish start to the contest saw the hosts concede twice within the opening nineteen minutes, while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s 27th-minute strike proved only a consolation despite a spirited push to restore parity.

Manager Iihan Palut expressed disappointment over what he described as an “unfortunate start” and the inability to take anything from the game, though he voiced confidence that his team would soon start “getting good results” following their improved recent displays.

Rizespor began the season without victory in their first three matches (D1, L2), finding the net just once in that spell, but have since rediscovered their rhythm by scoring nine times in five subsequent outings while collecting seven points (W2, D1, L2).

As a result, the Black Sea Sparrowhawk currently sit eighth in the standings with eight points and will head into Wednesday’s contest optimistic of overcoming their struggling visitors, knowing a win could lift them two places higher.

Basaksehir have picked up just six points from their opening eight games of the campaign (W1, D3, L4), and they slipped into the relegation zone after Eyupspor’s victory in their own outstanding fixture against Kasimpasa on Monday.

Needing nothing short of a win to climb out of the red zone, the Grey Owls must dig deep after a frustrating run that has seen them go four games without a win, including three successive defeats.

Nuri Sahin made a bright start to life at the club with a win over bottom-placed Fatih Karagumruk followed by a 1-1 draw with Alanyaspor, but the tide has since turned with defeats to Konyaspor (2-1) and Goztepe (1-0), while facing the league leaders was never going to be an ideal fixture to halt that slide.

Indeed, Basaksehir were beaten 2-1 by Galatasaray despite a much-improved second-half display, as Eldor Shomurodov’s 59th-minute equaliser was swiftly cancelled out two minutes later when Leroy Sane struck to complete his brace.

The Grey Owls have struggled in the final third this season, with their seven goals ranking as the third-fewest tally in the division, though their nine conceded remains better than 11 other teams, suggesting the main concern lies in their attacking output ahead of Wednesday’s trip.

Having won five of the last seven meetings in this fixture (D1, L1) while netting at least twice in six of those games, including a 2-0 victory in the most recent encounter, Basaksehir have reason for cautious optimism, even if their last visit to Rize ended in a 1-1 draw.

Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Rizespor could once again be without centre-back Khusniddin Alikulov, who has missed the last four matches through injury, while midfielder Ibrahim Olawoyin faces a late fitness test after sitting out recent fixtures.

Striker Halil Dervisoglu also missed the Trabzonspor clash due to injury and is not expected to feature here.

Ali Sowe is pushing for a starting berth after making substitute appearances in the last two games, and given Vaclav Jurecka’s struggles in the previous outing, it would not be surprising if the Gambian forward is handed a chance to impress Paluth, who has been critical of him in recent weeks.

Despite scoring last time out, Rak-Sakyi is ineligible to feature on Wednesday as he was not registered at the original time of the fixture, while Loide Augusto and goalkeeper Yahia Fofana are also unavailable for the same reason.

Basaksehir will similarly be without Dogan Alemdar, Jakub Kaluzinski, Amine Harit and Bertug Yildirim, who are all ineligible to play in this rearranged match.

Centre-back Hamza Gureler remains a fitness doubt after missing the previous game, while midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev is expected to sit out a second consecutive match through injury.

Defender Leo Duarte and midfielder Olivier Kemen both returned from injury last time out and are set to start again in their respective roles.

Shomurodov has been the standout performer for the Grey Owls, contributing four of their seven goals along with one assist, and the Uzbek forward will once again shoulder the attacking burden for Sahin’s side.

Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:

Canpolat; Sahin, Mocsi, Akaydin, Nielsen; Papanikolaou, Laci; Mihaila, Buljubasic, Bulut; Sowe

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Opoku, Operi; Ozdemir; Turuk, Kemen, Crespo, Brnic; Shomurodov

We say: Caykur Rizespor 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

Both Rizespor and Basaksehir have struggled to find consistency this season, with the two teams showing vulnerability in their respective home and away performances.

The hosts have won just one of four matches at Rize City, losing the other three, while the same record applies to Basaksehir on their travels, making a share of the spoils the most likely outcome.

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