Besiktas travel to face Goztepe SK on Saturday, aiming to bounce back from a disappointing result that has put their hopes of European qualification in serious doubt.
The Black Eagles now trail newly-promoted Eyupspor by two points in the Turkish Super Lig standings and will be desperate to return to winning ways against a struggling Goztepe side.
Match preview
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Goztepe's poor run continued last weekend with a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Konyaspor, extending their winless streak in the Turkish Super Lig to 10 matches.
The Izmir-based side have not tasted victory since mid-January and are now just six points above the relegation zone, with seven games left to play.
Having started the campaign with promise, Goztepe's form has tailed off drastically in the second half of the season, and confidence is clearly lacking within the squad, especially defensively, having conceded in each of their last 10 league matches.
Saturday's clash will be another stern test for them, with Besiktas arriving in town hungry to reignite their push for European football.
However, this will be the third meeting between these sides this season, and Goztepe have won both of the previous fixtures, recently beating them in the Turkish Cup earlier this month.
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Besiktas were beaten 2-0 at home by Istanbul Basaksehir last time out, a result that saw them drop out of the European places, overtaken by Eyupspor who have played one extra game.
With just one win and three losses in their last five league games, the Black Eagles find themselves under mounting pressure as the season nears its conclusion.
Failure to secure a top-four finish would be a major disappointment for a club of their stature, and anything less than three points against out-of-form Goztepe could deal another damaging blow to their ambitions.
Besiktas have lost their two away matches, losing one and drawing the other, and with a trip to Fenerbahce still to come, the visitors must end their rot on Saturday to improve their chances of a top four finish.
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Team News
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Eyupspor will be without Djalma Silva, Novatus Miroshi and Juan due to injury, paving the way for Ismail Koybasi, Ahmed Ildiz and Emersonn.
Isaac Solet has suffered a cruciate ligament injury and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, dealing a major blow to the host's defensive options.
For Besiktas, Tayyip Talha Sanuc returns from suspension and is set to partner at centre-back, with both Felix Uduokhai and Emirhan Topcu ruled out through injury.
Kenny Arroyo is likely to fill in for the injured Ernest Muci, while Elan Ricardo and Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov are also unavailable, although neither was expected to start this weekend.
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Altikardes, Gunter, Heliton; Koybasi, Erdogan, Dennis, Bayrak; IIdiz; Romulo, Emersonn
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Masuaku, Paulista, Sanuc, Svensson; Fernandes, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Rashica, Rafa, Arroyo; Kilicsoy
We say: Goztepe SK 1-1 Besiktas
Eyupspor's home form has dipped compared to the first half of the season, and they have been held to draws in each of their last three matches, a streak we expect to continue here given Besiktas' recent inconsistency.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
