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

The hosts have hit a snag in recent matches, coming off successive defeats while the visitors also lost their last match.

Match preview

Besiktas's European qualification is looking wobbly at the moment, having lost their last two league matches and being only three points ahead of fifth-placed Kasimpasa.

The Black Eagles were on a six-match unbeaten run across all competitions until the 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray, which has now been followed by a shocking 2-0 loss to Gaziantep last Monday.

While Fernando Santos's side remain in fourth place with 46 points, they have now seen the teams behind them close the gap.

Besiktas's struggles have been caused mainly by their inability to find the net consistently. The Black Eagles have scored the fewest goals among the top six sides and have failed to score in their last two matches.

Finding a way to put the ball in the net will be their aim as they host Antalyaspor this weekend, in what will be the third meeting between both sides this season. While the visitors won the away fixture in the league, the hosts triumphed when both sides met in the Turkish Cup.

The Black Eagles will hope they can pick up a second victory against the away side this season, but they have failed to do so in the last two times they have hosted this fixture.

Antalyaspor lost 1-0 to Istanbul Basaksehir last time out at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium, making it their third defeat in five league games.

Sergen Yalcin's men have won just one of their last eight competitive games, a 1-0 victory over Gaziantep, picking up just five points in the league within that period.

Despite the defeat to Basaksehir, they remain eighth in the table, level on points with ninth-placed Sivasspor and eight points off the top four with nine games left to play.

Antalyaspor will hope they can record a first victory at Besiktas since 2020, but with only three away wins in 14 attempts on the road this season, this could be a tough ask.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

W

D

W

W

L

L

Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

L

D

L

W

L

Team News

Besiktas will be without Rachid Ghezzal, Necip Uysal and Arthur Masuaku due to one-game suspensions following accumulated yellow cards.

Amir Hadziahmetovic, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emrecan Uzunhan are also sidelined with varying degree of injuries.

Meanwhile, Yakup Arda Kilic, Salih Ucan and Tayfur Bingol are doubtful for this clash, and will have to pass late fitness tests to determine their availability.

Israeli striker Sagiv Jehezkel has missed each of Antalyaspor's last 10 matches through a club suspension and will play no part in Saturday's game.

Guray Vural is also out with a muscle injury until late March, while Adam Buska is expected to spearhead the attack once again.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Bulut, Colley, Worrall, Masuaku; Al Musrati, Amartey; Rashica, Muci, Tosun; Kilicsoy

Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Bulut, Uysal, Sanuc, Svensson; Al Musrati, Fernandes; Rashica, Muci, Kilicsoy; Zaynutdinov

We say: Besiktas 2-1 Antalyaspor

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