Preview: Gaziantep vs. Adana Demirspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Gaziantep will look to claim a sixth consecutive home league victory when they play host to Adana Demirspor on Sunday.

The visitors, meanwhile, enter Sunday's contest in third place in the Super Lig as they bid to extend their unbeaten league run to four games.

Match preview

Ninth-placed Gaziantep will seek to close the five-point gap to the top four when they face Adana Demirspor at the weekend.

After clinching consecutive victories in league and cup competitions, Gaziantep ended up on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline when they travelled to the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium to face Istanbul Basaksehir last weekend.

Pizzi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 34th minute before a Serdar Gurler strike three minutes from time wrapped up the three points for the home side.

Erol Bulut's team return to the New Gaziantep stadium this weekend, and their aim will be to protect their unbeaten home record, with Trabzonspor the only other team in the Turkish top flight who are yet to lose at home this season.

Despite having played the fewest home games of any team in the Super Lig, Gaziantep have scored more home goals (26) than any other side in the league this term.

As for Adana Demirspor, they enter Sunday's contest in a fine run of form after losing just once in their previous 10 league matches.

In their last outing, they salvaged a point in dramatic circumstances after Alex Teixeira had given Besiktas the lead in the 31st minute, but Samet Akaydin's equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time ensured that Adana Demirspor extended their unbeaten run to three matches.

That point leaves them firmly in the hunt for a European qualification spot, but with the league table tightly contested, Sunday's hosts can not afford to rest on their laurels.

Vincenzo Montella's side will be hopeful of collecting a positive result on Sunday, with the visitors currently holding the joint-third best away record in the Super Lig this season.

Adana Demirspor will be looking to draw inspiration from the comfortable 4-0 victory that they picked up against Gaziantep in the reverse fixture back in September.

Team News

The hosts are expected to be without the services of Mirza Cihan and Halil Ibrahim Pehlivan, who are both injury absentees.

Stelios Kitsiou could return to the starting lineup after missing the Istanbul Basaksehir contest due to a one-match suspension.

Luka Stankovski made his debut for Gaziantep with a substitute appearance last weekend and the 19-year-old is expected to be on the bench once again on Sunday.

Adana Demirspor will be without their top scorer, with Mario Balotelli set to serve a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

The Italy international will be replaced in the starting lineup by Britt Assombalonga, who has scored eight league goals this season.

Montella may also be tempted to bring Younes Belhanda into the side for Sunday's contest, with Birkir Bjarnason potentially dropping down to the bench.

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Guvenc; Tosca, Caulker, Djilobodji; Kitsiou, Soyalp, Niyaz, Vetrih, Mendyl; Maxim, Demir

Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Muric; Svensson, Akaydin, Deli, Kanak; Stambouli, Inler, Belhanda; Akgun, Vargas, Assombalonga

We say: Gaziantep 1-1 Adana Demirspor

Adana Demirspor got the better of Gaziantep in the reverse fixture, but with Sunday's hosts proving to be a formidable force at home this season, we think that Montella's side will have to settle for an away point.

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