Two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table will go head-to-head as Konyaspor welcome Besiktas to the Torku Arena.
The hosts are battling to hold onto fourth place in their quest for European football, while the visitors sit precariously just one point above the relegation zone.
Match preview
© Imago
Konyaspor suffered their third defeat in five league matches last time out, falling to a 2-1 loss away at Eyupspor after conceding a goal in each half.
The Anatolian Eagles have won just twice in their last 12 Super Lig outings, and their four-point cushion above the drop zone has now been cut to a single point.
With relegation-threatened sides picking up form, Recep Ucar's men are in desperate need of a turnaround, but history suggests their next fixture may not offer much respite.
Konyaspor are winless in their last seven meetings with Besiktas in all competitions, losing each of the last four by a 2-0 scoreline. In fact, they have not found the net against the Black Eagles since 2023.
However, home form provides some encouragement, with three wins in their last four competitive outings at the Torku Arena, and their most recent victory over the visitors also came on home turf, back in 2021.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Besiktas will be confident of extending their winning streak against the hosts, but they may approach the game with some caution following their recent setback.
The Black Eagles will be looking to bounce back after suffering their first league defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as they were stunned 2-1 at home by Gaziantep in their last outing.
That loss ended a nine-match unbeaten streak in the Super Lig and saw their advantage over fifth-placed Eyupspor cut to a single point, while they also slipped six points adrift of third-placed Samsunspor.
Despite that setback, the Black Eagles can take confidence from their strong away form, as they are unbeaten in six domestic matches on the road, winning four and drawing two, including victories in each of their last three away games, though two of those came in cup competitions.
- L
- L
- D
- D
- W
- L
Team News
© Imago
Konyaspor will be without Ogulcan Ulgun and Blaz Kramer, who are both suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, but Marko Jevtovic is available again after serving a suspension.
First-choice goalkeeper Jakub Slowik is still recovering from injury, meaning Deniz Ertas is likely to retain his place in goal, while Emmanuel Boateng remains sidelined with a muscle injury.
Besiktas, meanwhile, remain without long-term absentee Necip Uysal, who is not expected to return until April, as well as Emrecan Terzi and Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov, who are also sidelined with thigh injuries.
Ciro Immobile ended his goal drought by converting a penalty in the last match, and the Italian striker will now be aiming to score in back-to-back games for the first time since October.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Ertas; Ndao, Demirbag, Yazgili, Guilherme; Jevtovic; Prip, Ibrahimoglu, Pedrinho, Erdogan; Kramer
Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Masuaku, Uduokhai,Topcu, Sanuc; Fernandes, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Mario, Rafa, Rashica; Immobile
We say: Konyaspor 1-2 Besiktas
Besiktas boast a dominant record in this fixture and have been strong on the road, making them favourites for this clash despite their recent blip.
Considering Konyaspor's struggles to find the net, having not scored more than once in any of their last five matches, they will not have enough creativity to match the visitors, who create quite a number of chances and tend to take them at a good rate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
