Sivasspor return to Turkish Super Lig action when they face off against Ankaragucu on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts, who are 15th in the table, were knocked out of the Europa Conference League at the hands of Fiorentina in midweek and take on a team slightly above them, with the visitors currently occupying 13th place.
Match preview
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Sivasspor qualified for the Europa Conference League courtesy of winning the 2021-22 Turkish Cup, but after topping the group, their run came to an end on Thursday night, losing 4-1 at home to Fiorentina.
It has been a very difficult season for the Braves, picking up just 24 points from 24 matches, meaning they are only just outside of the relegation zone as we enter the final third of the season.
Recent form must be particularly concerning for manager Riza Calimbay, with his side losing their last four matches in all competitions, being beaten comprehensively in a 3-0 defeat away at Istanbulspor earlier this month.
One saving grace, however, is that Sivasspor have fared well in their defence of the Turkish Cup, having progressed to the semi-final stage, although they were awarded the quarter-final tie after Gaziantep FK were forced to withdraw.
The Braves pose a very good record against Sunday's opponents over the past few years, winning six and drawing one of the last eight meetings in all competitions, although the one loss they suffered did come earlier this season, in a 2-1 defeat at Eryaman Stadium.
Ankaragucu also find themselves in the relegation mix, currently just two points adrift of the bottom four, having acquired 25 points in their 23 outings up to this point.
It was always going to be a challenging season for AG, after being promoted from the second tier in the 2021-22 season, but they have managed to put in some impressive performances at times, recently moving out of the relegation zone after a 2-0 victory against Alanyaspor.
Ali Sowe continued his fine form in front of goal by opening the scoring in the first half, before Milson added a second with a little under 15 minutes to spare, putting the game beyond the reach of their opponents.
For a team battling to keep their place in the division, Ankaragucu actually have a very good defensive record, conceding just 35 goals up to this point, the fewest of any side that are not currently in the top eight.
Inconsistency has been a major issue for Sedat Agcay's side, however, and a victory on Sunday would see them record back-to-back wins in the Turkish Super Lig for the first time all season.
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Team News
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Sivasspor will be without winger Max Gradel, who is suspended after being red carded in the recent defeat against Istanbulspor, so Erdogan Yesilyurt is likely to keep his place in the team after scoring his side's only goal against Fiorentina.
Having drawn a blank in the Conference League, Jordy Caicedo has now failed to score in five of his last six games, so Clinton Njie may be the preferred option in attack.
In midfield, Caner Osmanpasa remains unavailable due to a knee injury, while Robin Yalcin will also miss out due to a similar problem.
As for Ankaragucu, Gboly Ariyibi has not been selected in the last two squads due to a back injury, and the American midfielder is not expected back until later this month.
Defenders Kevin Malcuit and Enock Kwateng are suffering with muscle issues, with both set to miss out until the end of the March at the earliest.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Goutas, Camara, Ciftci; Charisis, Ulvestad, Arslan; Yesilyurt, Njie, Saiz
Ankaragucu possible starting lineup:
Akkan; Kitsiou, Radakovic, Cankaya, Kaldirim; Antalyali, Diack, Kilinc, Milson, Zahid; Sowe
We say: Sivasspor 1-1 Ankaragucu
With both teams currently finding themselves at the wrong end of the Turkish Super Lig table, it is too tough to call a definitive winner.
Sivasspor's home record has been very poor all season, picking up just 11 points in front of their own fans, and so we expect the spoils to be shared.
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Top tip
Dominic Lund
