There is plenty on the line this weekend as Trabzonspor host Alanyaspor in a Turkish Super Lig clash that carries a fair bit more weight for the visitors.
While the hosts are clinging onto slim hopes of European qualification, the visitors are simply trying to keep their heads above water in the relegation scrap, but Fatih Tekke will hope to inflict more pain on his old team.
Match preview
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For Trabzonspor, this season has been a bit of a letdown when compared to the highs of last year's third-place finish, but they still sit eight points behind fourth-placed Eyupspor, who have played an extra game, leaving them with a slim but not impossible hope of catching them.
The Black Sea Storm do have a bit of momentum with two straight wins in the league, coupled with a solid 2-0 victory over Goztepe in the Turkish Cup semi-final on Thursday, which breathed some life into what was shaping up to be a forgettable campaign.
While the upcoming cup final against Galatasaray might be stealing a bit of focus, there is still a job to do in the league for Tekke's side, who are looking to win three league matches in a row for the first time this season, following a 2-0 victory over Caykur Rizespor and a 1-0 win against bottom-side Adana Demirspor.
One area Trabzonspor have improved is defensively, having kept three straight clean sheets across all competitions, just only the second time it has happened all season.
Home form has been the backbone behind the Black Sea Storm's recovery from their early season woes, having picked up 31 points from a possible 45 at Papara Park, the fifth-best in the league.
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As for Alanyaspor, last week's 1-0 win over Samsunspor might not have been pretty, but it was vital, as it ended a run of five consecutive league defeats for them.
With relegation breathing down their neck, that victory nudged the Alanya side out of the drop zone, albeit on goal difference only, they still have a game in hand over Bodrumspor, who are the first team in the bottom four.
The Thunders' away form, however, is a massive concern, having suffered four straight defeats on the road, while their record in Trabzon does not help either, with three straight losses at this ground across all competitions, shipping nine goals and scoring just once.
Tekke might be in the opposing dugout now, but he has got ties to Alanyaspor, having managed them until November 2024 before announcing his resignation, citing that there are blockages within the club which made it difficult to solve problems.
The visitors will hope they get one over their former manager, but the recent trend in this fixture has seen whoever hosts come out on top in the last six meetings across all competitions, with three wins for each team.
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Team News
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Danylo Sikan is expected to lead the line for Trabzonspor in place of the injured Denis Dragus, while Ozan Tufan is set to start in midfield with Tim Jabol-Folcarelli also ruled out.
In addition, the trio of Onuralp Cevikkan, Huseyin Turkmen, Serdar Saatci and Ahmet Yildirim remain sidelined.
With Hwang Ui-Jo and Fidan Aliti both suspended for Alanyaspor, Andraz Sporar and Jure Balkovec are likely to come into the starting line-up.
Efecan Karaca is expected to operate as a right wing-back after Florent Hadergjonaj suffered a fresh injury setback, while Buluthan Bulut is unavailable.
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Eskihellac, Batahov, Savic, Malheiro; Lundstram, Tufan; Zubkov, Sikan, Nwakaeme; Banza
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Aksoy, Lima, Balkovec; Ozdemir, Richard, Janvier, Karaca; Vilhena, Sporar, Cordova
We say: Trabzonspor 2-0 Alanyaspor
Trabzonspor are riding a wave of confidence under Tekke with momentum and home advantage on their side, which is why we are backing the hosts to win this one against an Alanyaspor missing key defensive figures and on a dreadful away streak.
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