Preview: Ankaragucu vs. Istanbulspor - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are looking to pull away from the relegation zone while the visitors are stuck to the bottom of the table.

Match preview

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Ankaragucu were in Turkish Cup action on Tuesday, picking up a shocking 3-0 win over Fenerbahce to advance into the semifinals.

Ali Kaan Guneren, Anastasios Chatzigiovannis and Garry Rodrigues were on the scoresheet for the Ankara-based side who will now face off against Besiktas in the semifinals of the competition.

However, Ankaragucu have struggled in the league, taking only one point from their previous five league outings, recording four defeats and a draw.

In their last league outing against Kayserispor, Emre Belozoglu's side failed to hold on a two-goal lead from the first half, as they conceded three second-half goals with the last coming in stoppage time.

Akanragucu remain one point above the drop zone, and are at risk of seeing their stay in the top-flight end if they fail to start picking up valuable points in the final 11 matches.

Belozoglu's men are back at home against the bottom-side in the league, offering a great chance for them to pick up their first league win since January 13.

However, a 2-1 loss in the reverse fixture could see Ankaragucu take a cautious approach on Saturday.

Istanbulspor seemed condemned for the drop as they languish at the bottom of the Super Lig with a mere 12 points, a daunting 17 points from safety with just 11 games left to play.

After fighting back to earn a draw against Antalyaspor, Osman Zeki Korkmaz's side failed to kick on, reverting to old ways with a 2-0 home defeat to Besiktas last time out.

The Bulls are not only struggling to pick up points, they are also finding it difficult to find the net, having scored the fewest goals in the league (20) and conceded the second-most (51).

Next in line is a fixture on the road where they have picked up just points all season. However, a point on their last trip could leave them with some confidence heading into this match.

Ankaragucu Turkish Super Lig form:

W

L

D

L

L

L

Ankaragucu form (all competitions):

Istanbulspor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

D

L

L

D

L

Team News

Ankaragucu will be without the services of defender Alper Uludag who has been sidelined for a couple of matches with a knee injury.

The club will also be missing their leading scorer this season, Efkan Bekiroglu, as he nurses a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out until late March.

Guneren is likely to be the beneficiary of Bekiroglu's injury, after coming on as a substitute to find the net against Kayserispor.

Istanbulspor have a clean bill of health heading into this match, leaving Korkmaz with a wealth of options.

Emir Gultekin is expected to lead the line once again on Sunday, as he looks to add to his four league goals.

Ankaragucu possible starting lineup:

Gungordu; Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mujakic, Hanousek; Pedrinho, Cigerci, Guneren; Morutan, Cephas, Sowe

Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:

Arda; Erdogan, Yesil, Deli; Sambissa, Jackson, Yasar, Loshaj; Mamadou, Gultekin, Gedikli

We say: Ankaragucu 2-1 Istanbulspor

Ankaragucu will be feeling super confident after their cup victory over Fenerbahce. Given how close they have come to picking up points in recent matches, we think they have the quality to finally get over the line against Istanbulspor.

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