With nothing left to play for but a positive end to the campaign, Antalyaspor and Trabzonspor meet on the final day of the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig season in a clash where pride and momentum are the only prizes on offer.
Both teams head into this game on losing streaks, with the hosts failing to win any of their last three, while the visitors are winless in their last four.
Match preview
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Antalyaspor head into the contest having endured a stuttering finish to the season, claiming just one win in their last six matches.
Three defeats during that run – including a 2-1 loss away to Eyupspor last time out – have summed up a frustrating campaign under Emre Belozoglu.
The Scorpions currently sit 14th on 44 points, safely above the drop zone but unable to match last season's total of 49, but with a win and other results going their way, they could still match last season's 10th-place finish.
While their away form has let them down throughout the campaign, Antalyaspor have built their survival on a strong home record this calendar year, with the hosts unbeaten at home in the league since January.
In that eight-match run, they have picked up five wins and three draws, and they will be determined to maintain that form and give their fans something to cheer for in their final outing.
However, history is not exactly on Antalyaspor's side in this fixture, having failed to beat the visitors in any of the last four meetings, losing three and drawing one.
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Trabzonspor, meanwhile, come into the match off the back of a chaotic 2-2 draw with Samsunspor – one of the most dramatic games of the season.
After trailing for almost an hour, Pedro Malheiro's quickfire brace in the 86th and 88th minutes looked to have completed a late turnaround for Fatih Tekke's side, only for them to concede again within a minute, ultimately settling for a share of the spoils.
Tekke has steadied the ship since taking over in March, with six wins in 13 matches and just two defeats, but they are now winless in five across all competitions and head into the final weekend on the back of a disappointing end to the season.
The club failed to replicate last year's third-place finish and also suffered heartbreak in the Turkish Cup final at the hands of Galatasaray.
That said, there is cautious optimism around the club heading into the summer, as Tekke has brought a level of stability during a turbulent period and will be looking to cap off what has become a foundational phase with a win on the road.
Team News
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Soner Dikmen is set to replace the injured Sander van de Streek in midfield, while Antalyaspor will also be without Erdogan Yesilyurt and Emre Uzun, who are both sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries.
Deni Milosevic remains unavailable as well, though he was not expected to be part of the starting XI.
Salih Malkocoglu and Okay Yokuslu are expected to line up at centre-back for the visitors, with Arsenii Batahov, Stefan Savic and Huseyin Turkmen all sidelined through injury.
With first-choice goalkeepers Ugurcan Cakir and Onuralp Cevikkan both unavailable, Taha Tepe will step in between the sticks.
Ozan Tufan and Danylo Sikan are set to replace the suspended Batista Mendy and Anthony Nwakaeme, while Muhammed Cham also serves a ban, though he was not in line to start.
Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:
Yigiter; Sari, Ozturk, Kelven; Yilmaz, Kaluzinski, Rakip, Vural; Dikmen, Gaich; Safuri
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Tepe; Malheiro, Malkocoglu, Yokuslu, Bosluk; Lundstram, Tufan; Zubkov, Cham-Saracevic, Nwakaeme; Dragus
We say: Antalyaspor 2-2 Trabzonspor
With neither side under pressure, the final-day meeting in Antalya offers the chance for one last statement before both teams turn their attention to rebuilding for next season.
However, we believe the spoils will be shared between both teams, given Antalyaspor's strong home form and Trabzonspor's quality.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
