The Sivas 4 Eylul Stadium braces for a clash between two sides looking to get back on track, as Sivasspor host Gaziantep in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.
Both sides secured midweek victories in the Turkish Cup, providing a much-needed confidence boost as they seek to reignite their league campaigns.
Match preview
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Sivasspor progressed to the next round of the Turkish Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over second-tier club Keciorengucu.
However, their league form stuttered as they suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat against Samsunspor in their last outing, which saw their three-game unbeaten streak come to an end.
Bulent Uygun's men conceded twice in the first half and saw Bengali-Fode Koita sent off for violent conduct on the hour mark, which quelled the hopes for a comeback.
Despite the rollercoaster ride of their season, they have recently climbed into mid-table and now sit 11th with 25 points, five clear of the relegation zone.
This weekend, the Braves host Gaziantep, a side they have dominated in recent encounters, winning their last three meetings across all competitions and losing only twice in nine Super Lig encounters while recording four wins and three draws.
However, Sivasspor's home form has been dismal this season, picking up just nine points from a possible 27 - the third-worst home record in the league.
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Gaziantep progressed in the Turkish Cup thanks to a dramatic 96th-minute winner against second-tier side Bodrum.
However, their winless streak in the Super Lig stretched to three games after a 1-0 defeat to Fenerbahce in their last league outing.
Marius Sumudica's side have won just once in their last eight Super Lig matches, a 3-0 victory over Fatih Karagumruk at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
With six wins, three draws and 11 defeats in their 20 Super Lig games, Gaziantep sit 16th in the table on 21 points, level with 14th and 15th-placed Hatayspor and Samsunspor, and just one point above the relegation zone.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last two games on the road, and can go three away games without defeat for the first time this season on Saturday.
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Team News
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Sivasspor have two players away on international duty, with Ahmed Musa and Clinton N'Jie representing Nigeria and Cameroon respectively at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Charis Charisis (hamstring), Roman Kvet (virus) and Aaron Appindangoye (leg) are all unavailable as they are currently recovering from varying injuries.
Koita will serve a one-match suspension for the red card he received against Samsunspor, which could give room for Emrah Bassan to play from the start on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Gaziantep will also be unable to call on the midfield duo of Max Gradel and Janio Bikel, as they are currently away on international duty at the AFCON with Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau respectively.
Turkish defender Ulas Zengin has been out of action since last July through a severe injury and there are still doubts surrounding his fitness ahead of this clash.
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Varal; Okumus, Osmanpasa, Camara, Ciftci; Parmak; Erdal, Bassan, Arslan, Barrow; Manaj
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Nita; Eskihellac, Kizildag, N'Koulou, Djilobodji, M'Bakata; Markovic, Ozcicek, Soyalp, Maxim; Dragus
We say: Sivasspor 1-1 Gaziantep
Sivasspor boast a strong historical record in this fixture, but their home form this season has been a major worry, and this could prove to be their undoing on Sunday.
Gaziantep, by contrast, have put in some decent performances on their travels recently, and they appear capable of snatching a point come the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
