Caykur Rizespor will clash with Goztepe SK in their week 36 Turkish Super Lig fixture at the Caykur Didi Stadyumu on Sunday.
The home side are 14th in the standings with 40 points, two places and five points above the relegation zone, while the visitors are seventh in the table, five points adrift of Basaksehir, who occupy the final European spot.
Match preview
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Caykur Rizespor's bid to avoid the drop suffered a setback when they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Konyaspor in their last league outing.
That result leaves the home side two places and five points above the relegation zone, meaning Ilhan Palut's team is not safe yet.
The Black Sea Sparrowhawks have struggled in recent weeks, winning two of their last eight league fixtures, with defeats recorded right after those victories.
However, with a couple of victories in their last two matches in front of their fans, the home fans have reason to be hopeful ahead of the clash.
A win for Palut's team on Sunday will steer them towards escaping relegation and also earn them their first triumph over Goztepe since May 2022.
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Elsewhere, Goztepe come into this contest with a three-game unbeaten streak, which includes two victories and a draw.
In their last outing, Goztepe were held to a 1-1 draw by Hatayspor, but the visitors only have themselves to blame after wasting several gilt-edged chances.
With European football seemingly out of reach, as they currently trail Basaksehir, who occupy the final continental spot, by four points and two places, finishing in the top half will be considered a success.
Although things could have turned out differently for the visitors, having occupied fourth position after gameweek 19, a run of 11 matches without a win saw them slide down the standings.
The away side have held the upper hand in recent meetings between both sides, as they have drawn one and won two of those encounters, including the 3-0 reverse victory in December 2024.
Team News
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The hosts have a long list of absentees ahead of Sunday's contest, meaning some players who have been on the fringes could be called upon this weekend.
Isaac Solet (knee), Ismail Koybasi (rib), Djalma Silva (knee), Dogan Erdogan (muscle), Juan (muscle), Kuryu Matsuki (muscle) and Novatus Miroshi (muscle) are all sidelined for this fixture.
Nevertheless, Rachid Ghezzal is fit again, and he will be pushing for a place in the starting XI this weekend.
For the away side, Giannis Papanikolaou is still out of contention, as he is currently recovering from a long-term shoulder injury and will play no part on Sunday.
Dal Varesanovic excelled against Gaziantep, and he scored his side's consolation goal last weekend, so he is expected to keep his place in the team.
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Akaydin, Sahin, Aliqulov, Hojer; Ozcan, Pala; Olawoyin, Varesanovic, Zeqiri; Sowe
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Ozcimen; Bayir, Gunter, Bokele; Nielsen, Dennis, Ildiz, Bayrak; Romulo, Tijanic, Kanatsizkus
We say: Caykur Rizespor 1-1 Goztepe SK
Although results have not been consistent for Rizespor, they have been difficult to beat in front of their fans this term, which, in combination with Goztepe's away form, makes this fixture one that could end in a stalemate; which is why we are predicting a 1-1 draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
