Preview: Antalyaspor vs. Gaziantep - prediction, team news, lineups

Having secured back-to-back wins with a 4-1 victory over Hatayspor on Wednesday, Gaziantep will aim to continue their revival under caretaker manager Erdal Gunes this weekend.

Match preview

Antalyaspor suffered a 2-0 defeat at Trabzonspor last time out, with the visitors managing a solitary shot on target against the defending Super Lig champions.

As a result, the Scorpions have only managed to win one of their previous nine outings across all competitions, suffering five league defeats along the way.

Nuri Sahin's side chalked up an impressive five-game winning streak between October and December, keeping three clean sheets in the process, but their form has taken a discernible turn for the worse since the World Cup break.

Having lost 11 of their 20 Super Lig matches this season, Antalyaspor find themselves outside the relegation zone solely on goal difference, with fellow strugglers Giresunspor and Hatayspor hot on their heels.

Sahin's men can take confidence from the fact that they have won five of their last nine home games in all competitions, although recent home defeats to Ankaragucu, Fenerbahce and Kayserispor have prevented the club from escaping the relegation battle.

Gaziantep endured a damaging nine-game winless run in the league between October and January, recording four draws and five losses to heighten relegation fears at the Kalyon Stadium.

Inevitably, manager Erol Bulut paid the price for the team's poor form and was sacked following back-to-back defeats against Fenerbahce and Sivasspor, opening the door for Erdal Gunes to step in as interim manager.

After overseeing a 2-0 win against Ankaragucu in his first game in charge, Gunes guided Gaziantep to a 4-1 victory over Hatayspor last time out, with former Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic bagging a brace in the rout.

All of a sudden, GFK find themselves four points clear of the relegation zone following back-to-back wins, while Gunes is in pole position to snap up the vacant managerial job on a permanent basis.

Not only have Gaziantep scored five goals more than Antalyaspor this season, but they have also conceded six goals fewer, so they will fancy their chances of sealing a fourth away league victory of the campaign this weekend.

Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

D

D

L

W

L

Antalyaspor form (all competitions):

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

D

D

L

L

W

W

Gaziantep form (all competitions):

Team News

Antalyaspor will be without top scorer Haji Wright for the foreseeable future as he continues to recover from a thigh strain, meaning Sam Larsson will lead the line for the hosts on Saturday.

Wright netted 10 goals in 16 Super Lig appearances before getting injured, and the Scorpions clearly missed the United States international in Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Trabzonspor.

Fedor Kudryashov and Ufuk Akyol are also expected to miss Saturday's clash, leaving Sahin with limited options to choose from in the midfield department.

As for Gaziantep, midfielder Abdulkadir Parmak will miss the trip to Antalya due to injury, while Chilean winger Angelo Sagal is also likely to be absent from the travelling squad.

Following back-to-back wins, Gunes will be tempted to stick with the same starting XI that thrashed Hatayspor in midweek, with top scorer Joao Figueiredo leading the line for the visitors.

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Leite; Balci, Sari, Gerxhaliu, Vural; Fredy, Fernando; Ndao, Rakip, Sinik; Larsson

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Guvenc; Artan, Ersoy, Djilobodji, Pehilvan; Jevtovic; Eskihellac, Soyalp, Maxim, Markovic; Figueiredo

We say: Antalyaspor 1-2 Gaziantep

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