Pendikspor, currently languishing in the lower reaches of the Turkish Super Lig table, will host Adana Demirspor at the Pendik Stadium on Sunday morning.
The home team enters this match buoyed by an unbeaten run of four league matches, while the visitors are enduring a winless streak that stretches across seven games in all competitions.
Match preview
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Pendikspor settled for a 1-1 draw against Alanyaspor at the Bahcesehir Okullari Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Ivo Vieira's men took the lead in the 78th minute through Mame Thiam, but their joy was short-lived as Leroy Fer equalised for Alanya four minutes later.
Consequently, Pendikspor remained 18th in the Super Lig table, one point adrift of safety after 23 matches.
The Pendik-based club's biggest obstacle is their defensive vulnerability, having conceded a league-high 46 goals, and they need to tighten up at the back to avoid relegation.
However, their next opponents are no strangers to putting the ball in the net, having scored three past them in the reverse fixture, which was the first-ever meeting between the two sides in the Super Lig.
A positive result here would see Vieira's men extend their unbeaten run to five league games, and they will be buoyed by Demirspor's poor form coming into the match.
Adana Demirspor fell to a 1-0 defeat against Hatayspor last time out, a result that extended their winless streak to seven games across all competitions and six in the Super Lig.
Former Manchester United winger Nani had a moment to forget, deflecting the ball into his own net in the 44th minute, before Semih Guler's sending off in stoppage time extinguished any hopes of a late comeback for the Blue Lightnings.
Hikmet Karaman's side have now failed to win 12 of their last 13 Super Lig matches, losing four and drawing eight since the beginning of November.
Despite their struggles, Adana remain in the European qualification picture, sitting eighth in the league table with 31 points after 23 games, five behind fourth-placed Besiktas.
The Blue Lightnings are back on the road, where they have struggled this season with just seven points from 12 away games, and are the only side in the league without an away win.
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Team News
Pendikspor have a clean bill of health, with manager Vieira having a full squad to choose from for Sunday's fixture.
Nevertheless, he is expected to field the same lineup that drew against Alanyaspor, meaning Umut Nayir and Erencan Yardimci will spearhead the attack.
The Blue Lightnings' top scorer, Thiam, is one to look out for as he continued his goal scoring form with a strike last time out, taking his tally to 15 and placing him just one goal behind the league's leading scorer, Edin Dzeko.
Demirspor, on the other hand, will be without Turkish forward Yusuf Sari, who has been sidelined since injuring himself against Istanbul Basaksehir on January 6th.
Midfielder Guler is also suspended after getting sent off for a second bookable offence last time out, and could be replaced by Pape Abou Cisse.
Pendikspor possible starting lineup:
Canpolat; Ozgenc, Ozturk, Rassoul, Sequeira; Akdag, Midtsjoe; Akbunar, Yardimci, Thiam; Nayir
Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:
Mahammadaliyev; Tokoz, Cisse, Cisse, Dursun; Gravillon, Michut; David, Stambouli, Erdogan; Akbaba
We say: Pendikspor 1-0 Adana Demirspor
Pendikspor seem to have found some fighting spirit in recent games and this has gotten them over the line. We expect this to be a close contest but the home side should edge this.
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