Preview: Adana Demirspor vs. Caykur Rizespor - prediction, team news, lineups

Both clubs currently find themselves in the relegation zone, having been unable to earn three points so far within this campaign.

Match preview

It has been a difficult start for Adana Demirspor as they have not managed to win any of their four opening games, which has seen them sink to 18th in the table.

There is a stark contrast to their campaign last season, which saw them earn regular victories on their way to promotion after finishing third place in the TTF 2.Lig.

They currently sit just two points off the bottom of the league, having only managed to draw two matches, with goals proving hard to come by.

Adana Demirspor have only found the back of the net twice this season, with new signings Britt Assombalonga and David Akintola being the two men to have done so.

Their goals helped create draws against both Kayserispor and Konyaspor, which were good results considering both of those teams are currently in the top half of the table.

However, they were sandwiched by two poor results, with a 1-0 loss to Fenerbahce on the opening day of the season, and a 4-0 defeat against Faith Karagumruk in their most recent outing.

The result was one that Vincenzo Montella will be wanting to forget about as he tries to find his first victory in the league since taking over as manager in the summer.

However, their opponents on Saturday will be attempting the same thing, with Caykur Rizespor also having failed to register a win so far this season in the Super Lig.

They actually sit lower than Adana as they have only drawn once in the opening four matches, which is a far cry from the midtable finish they had in 2020-21, when they finished 13th.

No team has conceded more goals than Rizespor, which has proven to be a big problem for them, and they have only scored in one match, with Damjan Djokovic getting two during their 3-2 loss against Antalyaspor.

Their most recent performance came against Hatayspor where they failed to register a single shot on target, with two late goals in the final 10 minutes of the game seeing them lose 2-0.

Adana Demirspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Adana Demirspor form (all competitions):

Caykur Rizespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Caykur Rizespor form (all competitions):

Team News

Montella will have plenty of strong attacking options to choose from, with experienced striker Mario Balotelli likely to lead the line as he searches for his first goal of the season.

However, there are still injury concerns over Akintola, who missed out on the previous two fixtures, which could provide another opportunity for Matias Vargas.

After proving to be a strong attacking threat throughout the season so far for Rizespor, Djokovic will be a pivotal part of their midfield once again on Saturday.

Meanwhile, attacking threats will come from the likes of Tyler Boyd out wide, while Joel Pohjanpalo continues to push for his opening goal upfront.

Adana Demirspor possible starting lineup:

Muric; Kanak, Sanuc, Guler, Svensson; Castro, Stambouli, Belhanda; Vargas, Assombalonga, Balotelli

Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:

Akkan; Baiano, Gonul, Holmen, Sertel; Djokovic, Phiri; Boyd, Potuk, Bolasie; Pohjanpalo

We say: Adana Demirspor 1-1 Caykur Rizespor

Neither team has started the season strongly and that means both are in a desperate need for three points, but equally they cannot afford to lose and be dragged deeper into the relegation zone.

Because of that, this could be quite a cagey game that will see them being rather careful, therefore leading to a tightly contested draw.