Preview: Trabzonspor vs Besiktas - prediction, team news, lineups

Trabzonspor will welcome Besiktas to Papara Park on Sunday for an important contest at the top end of the Turkish Super Lig table.

The hosts trail league leaders Galatasaray by two points, while their visitors sit nine points behind in fifth spot.

Match preview

Trabzonspor return to action on Sunday aiming to continue a winning run and climb up to top spot in the Turkish Super Lig, having strengthened their title bid in recent weeks.

Aiming to regain the trophy they last won in 2022, ending a 38-year wait for a seventh top-flight title, the Black Sea Storm currently sit second having earned 34 points from their first 15 outings, winning 10 and only losing one of those.

That sole defeat came away at Fenerbahce in mid-September, and Fatih Tekke's men have since collected 24 points from a possible 30 including three straight wins heading into the weekend and four in all competitons.

After beating Istanbul Basaksehir and Konyaspor 4-3 and 3-1 respectively, and getting past Vanspor in the Turkish Cup, they visited Goztepe last Sunday and took all three points from a 2-1 triumph, seeing the game out after leading 2-0 through Ernest Muci's brace and being pegged back with 10 men five minutes from time.

Now sat second and just two points behind leaders Galatasaray with momentum on their side, Trabzonspor will go in search of another crucial win on Sunday with the summit of the table in their sights.

© Imago / IMAGO / BSR Agency

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the long trip on Sunday hoping to kickstart their own title bid after an underwhelming start to the campaign.

In their search for a first Turkish Super Lig title since 2021 and 17th in their history, Besiktas already find themselves well off the pace, sitting fifth on 25 points from their first 15 games.

While they head into the weekend in a four-match unbeaten streak, Sergen Yalcin's side have managed just two victories from their last six league games, beating Antalyaspor and Fatih Karagumruk in November.

Then aiming to make it back-to-back wins after the latter of those, the Black Eagles most recently hosted Gaziantep on Monday, but they were only able to take a disappointing point, twice falling behind to Mohamed Bayo goals and drawing level through El Bilal Toure and Tammy Abraham.

Now trailing the league leaders by 11 points and Sunday's hosts by nine with 15 games gone, Besiktas will hope to kick off a much-needed hot streak and climb towards top spot with an away win at the weekend.

Trabzonspor Turkish Super Lig form:

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Trabzonspor form (all competitions):

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Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

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Team News

© Imago / IMAGO / Middle East Images

Trabzonspor head into the weekend with several selection issues, with Boran Baskan and Salih Malkocoglu on ongoing suspensions and Wagner Pina and Paul Onuachu also suspended after the former was sent off last time out and the latter reached the yellow card threshold.

Anthony Nwakaeme, Stefan Savic, Edin Visca and Rayyan Baniya will also continue spells in the treatment room.

In the absence of Onuachu, who leads the Super Lig's scoring charts with 11 league goals this term, Felipe Augusto will come in to lead the line from the start, while Ernest Muci, who scored a brace in support last time out, is unable to feature against his parent club.

Besiktas will likely remain without Felix Uduokhai, Mustafa Erhan Hekimoglu, Necip Uysal, Rafa Silva, Jonas Svensson due to injuries on Sunday.

Winger Cengiz Under is a fresh concern after being forced off early in Monday's draw, meaning Milot Raschica may come in on the right-hand side from the outset.

Tammy Abraham will hope to come in from the outset in attack, after netting his sixth league goal of the season off the bench on Monday, while El Bilal Toure scored for a second straight match.

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Onana; Bosluk, Saatci, Batagov, Eskihellac; Jabol-Folcarelli, Yokuslu; Zubkov, Tufan, Olaigbe; Augusto

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanoglu; Sazdagi, Gabriel, Topcu, Yilmaz; Ndidi, Kokcu; Rashica, Cerny; Toure, Abraham

We say: Trabzonspor 1-1 Besiktas

Trabzonspor have certainly got more momentum on their side than the visitors, but they are bound to be hurt by the losses of key attackers Onuachu and Muci, and we opt for a draw as a result with the visitors possessing more quality than recent results suggest.

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