Two sides looking to move further clear of the Turkish Super Lig relegation zone go head-to-head on Saturday as Kasimpasa welcome Alanyaspor to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.
With just one point and one place separating them in the table, both teams find themselves in a rough patch and in need of a morale-boosting result.
Match preview
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Kasimpasa's hard-fought draw against Galatasaray failed to spark a turnaround, as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at Bodrumspor last time out, a result that extended their winless run across all competitions to five matches.
Four of those games have come in the Super Lig, where they have lost three and slipped to 12th in the standings with 32 points, just five points above the drop zone.
The Apaches will be desperate to avoid another setback against Alanyaspor, as defeat could drag them further into the relegation scrap. However, they can take confidence from their recent record in this fixture.
The hosts have gone unbeaten in their last six meetings with Alanyaspor, a run that includes four wins and two draws, with the last two encounters ending in identical 2-1 victories for Kasimpasa.
Despite their positive record against the visitors, home form will be a concern for the hosts entering into this clash, as Kasimpasa have picked up just 14 points on their own turf, with only Hatayspor and Adana Demirspor faring worse in the league.
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Alanyaspor will be well aware of Kasimpasa's struggles but arrive in Istanbul nursing their own problems, as a worrying dip in form has seen their cushion above the relegation zone shrink to just four points, courtesy of four defeats in their last five league outings.
Their most recent setback came against Galatasaray, where they took a surprise lead but ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat after conceding twice in the second half.
Sami Ugurlu's men have managed just two away wins all season, and with their last victory over Kasimpasa dating back to 2021, the odds appear stacked against them heading into Saturday's clash.
Their defence have also shown signs of weakness in recent weeks, conceding at least two goals in each of their last three league games, and this could prove to be an issue against a Kasimpasa that have scored at least twice in each of their last five home matches in the Super Lig.
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Team News
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Kasimpasa will be boosted by the return of Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Yasin Ozcan, both of whom missed the last match through suspension after accumulating yellow cards.
Midfielder Aytac Kara remains a major doubt due to a meniscus injury that has sidelined him for the past two league games.
Alanyaspor, meanwhile, will be without Buluthan Bulut, who is ruled out for the season with a serious knee injury.
Angolan forward Loide Augusto is also unavailable as he serves a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Winck, Piatowski, Opoku, Rodrigues; Barak, Gul, Hajradinovic; Fall, Costa, Brekalo
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Hadergjonaj, Aksoy, Lima, Aliti, Ozdemir; Makouta, Richard, Vilhena; Cordova, Sporar
We say: Kasimpasa 2-1 Alanyaspor
With both sides struggling for form, neither teams are clear-cut favourites for this one, but Kasimpasa boast a strong record against Alanyaspor, and this could give them a psychological edge to secure a slim victory despite their poor home record.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
