Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig clash between Kayserispor and Caykur Rizespor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Separated by one place in the Turkish Super Lig table, Kayserispor welcome Caykur Rizespor in Sunday’s gameweek 33 clash at RHG Enerturk Enerji Stadyumu, with neither team safe from relegation.
Both sides enter this weekend with 37 points and six games remaining, aiming to create separation from the dreaded zone, with only three points between them and 16th-placed Bodrum.
Match preview
© Imago
Although Kayserispor are outside the bottom four places, Sergej Jakirovic‘s team are not out of the woods in their survival battle, with only three points separating them from 16th-placed Bodrum.
With Sivasspor a further six points behind, the Anatolian Star have only the club in 16th in their immediate rearview entering Sunday’s match against Rizespor.
Supporters in Central Anatolia have reason to enter this weekend with optimism, considering their side’s upswing in results since the last international break, as evidenced by Kayserispor accruing 10 points from a possible 12, including a recent gripping 3-3 draw against title-chasing Fenerbahce, which complicated Jose Mourinho‘s Super Lig ambitions.
Aiming to build on their recent results, Anadolu Yıidizi enter this weekend’s match eager to improve to five unbeaten in the division, a feat previously achieved between October and November this term when they played out three draws against Istanbul Basaksehir (1-1), Gaziantep (2-2) and Adana Demirspor (0-0) and defeated Hatayspor (1-0) and Kasimpasa (2-1).
Anadolu Yıidizi are in superior form this time, having kept clean sheets in wins over Hatayspor (5-0), Adana (2-0) and Kasimpasa (1-0) before last weekend’s wildly exciting six-goal thriller at Fenerbahce, and will back themselves to go five without losing.
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Aiming to snap Kayserispor’s four-match unbeaten run are Rizespor, who enter Sunday’s contest following a recent 1-0 success over Europe-chasing newcomers Eyupspor.
That triumph ended the Black Sea Sparrowhawk’s wait for a top-flight victory after a 3-1 win over Alanyaspor on March 2 was followed by four unsuccessful matches, including three losses to Antalyaspor (2-1), Bodrum (2-0) and Trabzonspor (2-0) and a draw against Sivasspor (1-1).
Defeating Arda Turan‘s high-flying side last weekend was timely for Ilhan Palut‘s team, who moved three points clear of 16th place after Bodrum’s loss at Galatasaray.
Chasing back-to-back Super Lig wins for the fourth time this season, and the first since beating Samsunspor (3-2) and Alanyaspor (3-1) in February-March, the away side must end a two-match losing run on their travels and correct their broader struggles.
Defeating Samsunspor was an anomalous result for Karadeniz Atmacası, who had lost three matches on their travels before that 3-2 success and have fallen to consecutive defeats on the road since, highlighting the struggles of a club that have lost 10 of their 15 away games, claiming five wins.
Their inability to earn draws from losing positions on their travels has kept them just three points away from danger, but Palut’s team hope to avoid a third straight loss on their travels and 11 overall away from Rize.
Kayserispor Turkish Super Lig form:
Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:
Team News
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Missing for Kayserispor are Hasan Ali Kaldirim (foot) and Yaw Ackah (thigh), both of whom should return next month, while Stephane Bahoken is out until next season due to a severe knee injury.
With seven goals and three assists this term, Duckens Nazon is the home team’s leading attacking threat, and he should be supported by Miguel Cardoso (five goals) on Sunday.
The visitors are expected to be without Rachid Ghezzal, Giannis Papanikolaou and Emrecan Bulut due to injury.
Despite those absences, Ali Sowe‘s goal-scoring contributions will be pivotal to Rizespor securing maximum points.
Sowe has netted 14 of his side’s 36 goals, accounting for 38.9% of Karadeniz Atmacası’s efforts, which is the second-highest ratio of goals scored by one player, behind Istanbul Basaksehir’s Krzysztof Piatek, who has scored 20 of his team’s 49 (40.8%).
Kayserispor possible starting lineup:
Bayazit; Sazdagi, Jeanvier, Hosseini, Carole; Attamah, Yilmaz; Civelek, Bourabia, Cardoso; Nazon
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Sahin, Mocsi, Akaydin, Hojer; Olawoyin, Ozcan; Akintola, Varesanovic, Jurecka; Sowe
We say: Kayserispor 2-1 Caykur Rizespor
Despite Sowe’s brilliance for Rizespor, Kayserispor enter Sunday’s match on a five-match winning streak at home and six overall without losing.
Consequently, the hosts are favoured to inflict the Rize-based club’s 11th away defeat this term and 16th overall.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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