Trabzonspor will look to end a four-match winless run and climb back towards the top four in the Turkish Super Lig table on Thursday, when they travel to take on Sivasspor.
The defending champions currently sit sixth after a dip in form, while their hosts dropped to 13th spot after a disappointing defeat of their own at the weekend.
Match preview
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Sivasspor have certainly experienced a mixed and slightly disappointing campaign in the Turkish Super Lig this season and one lacking any real consistency, as they sat 13th with 24 points on the board from their opening 22 outings before quickly dropping further into the bottom half following consecutive defeats at the hands of Fatih Karagumruk and strugglers Istanbulspor in early March, with the latter being a particularly concerning 3-0 loss.
Riza Calimbay's men would then bounce back to winning ways at home to Ankaragucu, with Isaac Cofie and Samuel Saiz getting on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory, before taking a commendable point from a 1-1 draw at home to Istanbul Basaksehir, having gone ahead through a Leo Duarte own goal before Patryk Szysz drew their visitors level on the hour mark.
Fresh off that improvement, which took them closer to breaking into the top half of Turkey's top flight, the Braves most recently travelled to take on relegation-threatened Giresunspor at the weekend with the hopes of continuing their climb, but they would fall behind as Jorman Campuzano opened the scoring for the hosts inside the first 20 minutes, and Calimbay's side were unable to find a leveller and left empty-handed as a result.
Now sitting 13th in a tight bottom half of the division, with 10th-placed Antalyaspor just one point better off but Istanbulspor in one of the two remaining relegation places also just four points behind the Braves, Sivasspor will be desperate to bounce back from the weekend's defeat and start moving back up the Super Lig table on Thursday.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, are also keen to return to winning ways in their fight in the top half, having recently fallen behind the top four in their title defence.
After winning the Turkish Super Lig for the first time since 1984 last season, the Black Sea Storm have been unable to reach the same heights this time around, currently occupying sixth spot in the top flight with 45 points on the board from their 28 league outings.
They now head into Thursday's meeting having failed to win any of their last three games in the league and their last four in all competitions, having firstly fallen to a 4-3 defeat in a dramatic contest at home to Kayserispor, before dropping out of the Turkish Cup at the quarter-final stage following a 3-1 beating at the hands of Ankaragucu.
The Back Sea Storm were unable to bounce back in the following encounter away at Kasimpasa, instead suffering a third straight loss as Mounir Chouiar and Valentin Eysseric got on the scoresheet in a 2-0 home triumph, before they at least managed to arrest the losing run with a more commendable goalless draw at home to third-placed Besiktas on Sunday.
Now under the new management of Nenad Bjelica, who will take charge of his first game on Thursday, following the brief temporary spell of Ihsan Derelioglu, Trabzonspor will be aiming to turn their fortunes around at the back end of the season and keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive, with Adana Demirspor having now moved six points ahead of them.
Team News
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Sivasspor will likely remain without Ugur Ciftci and Leke James, as the pair continue to sit out due to injury issues, with Jordy Caicedo having led the line in the absence of the latter last time out.
He will face competition to start up front again, though, with Mustapha Yatabare fighting to come in from the outset, having netted five league goals so far this term.
Max Gradel will also be vying to return to the front line from the start after he only appeared off the bench last time out, with the Ivorian having also contributed five goals as well as five assists in the Super Lig this season, while Samuel Saiz and former Tottenham Hotspur man Clinton N'Jie are also expected to feature in support of a lone frontman.
Trabzonspor also have several enforced absences through injury, with Andreas Cornelius, Edin Visca and Dorukhan Tokoz confined to the treatment room, while they will also be missing Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Anastasios Bakasetas as both will serve suspensions after picking up yellow cards at the weekend.
The latter is a particularly notable loss, with Bakasetas leading their scoring charts on 11 goals for the season, and in his absence, Trezeguet should come into the attacking unit having found the net seven times and contributed three assists in the top flight so far this term.
He and the likes of Lazar Markovic will support striker Maxi Gomez, with Marek Hamsik and Enis Bardhi also fighting to come in, while at the other end of the pitch, former Barcelona and Real Betis man Marc Bartra will hope to make a return to the defence from the outset after featuring off the bench last time out.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Paluli, Appindangoye, Goutas, Erdal; Cofie, Ulvestad; N'Jie, Saiz, Gradel; Yatabare
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Bartra, Turkmen, Denswil, Elmali; Siopis, Omur; Trezeguet, Bardhi, Markovic; Gomez
We say: Sivasspor 0-2 Trabzonspor
While Trabzonspor have failed to live up to their own standards this season and in recent weeks, they do still boast plenty of quality, and keen to improve their fortunes under new management, we fancy them to triumph on their travels over an inconsistent Sivasspor side.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
