Preview: Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Istanbulspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Both sides head into the game off the back of contrasting results, with the Grey Owls picking up a dramatic away victory in last Sunday's clash against Konyaspor.

Match preview

Basaksehir returned to winning ways in dramatic fashion last time out, clawing back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Konyaspor 3-2.

Louka Prip's first-half brace put Konya in the driving seat, but Krzysztof Piatek's stunning hat trick in the final 20 minutes turned the tide for the Grey Owls.

Cagdas Atan's side currently occupy ninth place in the table with 30 points from 23 matches, six points adrift of the final European spot and seven points clear of the relegation zone.

The Grey Owls will be keen to bounce back from their 1-0 home defeat to Fenerbahce, which snapped their nine-game winning streak on home turf across all competitions.

Basaksehir have dominated their Super Lig encounters against Istanbulspor, boasting two victories in three meetings and will now be aiming to complete their first-ever top-flight double over their opponents on Saturday.

With just 15 games remaining in the season, Istanbulspor face a monumental task if they are to avoid relegation. Currently rooted to the bottom of the table with a meagre 11 points, they are a staggering 13 points adrift of safety.

Osman Zeki Korkmaz's men did manage to claim a point in their last outing, thanks to a 1-1 draw with Samsunspor.

Emir Kaan Gultekin opened the scoring for Istanbulspor, but their lead was cancelled out by Emre Kilinc's equaliser 18 minutes later.

Despite a brief respite in the form of a 1-0 victory against Kayserispor, Istanbulspor have now gone two league games without a win.

Their struggles throughout the campaign can be attributed to deficiencies at both ends of the pitch: they have scored the fewest goals in the league (17) and boast the second-worst defensive record (42 goals conceded in 23 matches).

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

D

W

W

D

L

W

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Istanbulspor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

D

D

W

L

D

Team News

Atan will also be unable to name the midfield duo of Efe Arda Koyuncu and 25-year-old Patryk Szysz, who have been ruled out through hamstring and ACL injuries respectively and are likely to miss the majority of the remainder of the campaign.

Piatek should lead the line once again as he looks to add to his 10 league goals this season.

Istanbulspor will take to the pitch without 25-year-old forward Mendy Mamadou, who is currently suspended after picking up a straight red against Galatasaray.

Gultekin is also suspended for this clash due to accumulated yellow cards, and Djakaridja Traore could take his place in the starting XI.

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Babacan; Dubois, Duarte, Opoku, Lima; Ergun; Turuc, Ilkhan, Ozcan, Gurler; Piatek

Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:

Arda; Erdogan, Yesil, Deli; Sambissa, Vorobjovas, Santos, Loshaj, Yasar; Rroca, Traore

We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 Istanbulspor

Basaksehir's impressive home form was finally halted by the mighty Fenerbahce, ending their seven-game winning streak at the Fatih Terim Stadium. However, they are still likely to overpower Istanbulspor, who boast the joint-worst away record in the league this season.

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