Preview: Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rigas Futbola Skola - prediction, team news, lineups

The Latvian minnows will still be quietly optimistic of progressing to the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout stages having already taken points off their upcoming opponents and Fiorentina in the group.

Match preview

That optimism could stem from the fact that Basaksehir have suffered from a sudden drop-off in performance levels following a superb start to the season.

The 2020 Turkish Super Lig champions won their opening five league matches without conceding a single goal, while also comfortably seeing off Hearts and Fiorentina 4-0 and 3-0 respectively in their opening two UECL group games.

However, since then, they have won just one of their last four games, and even then they needed a late winner from Deniz Turuc to see off recently-promoted Ankaragucu.

Two uneventful 0-0s have followed against Fatih Karagumruk and in the reverse tie with RFS last week, before they were surprisingly beaten convincingly at home by Sivasspor on Monday, as Emre Belozoglu made six changes from the draw in Riga.

They are still huge favourites to progress from Group A though, as a win here will keep them at least three points clear of the rest, and their big wins over Hearts and Fiorentina give them a huge advantage in any potential head-to-head deciders should they finish level on points.

Despite sitting bottom of the group, RFS are still living the dream and have shown that they belong at this level, as being rank outsiders has not stopped them from going to Florence and coming home with a point, and almost snatching all three at home to the group leaders last week.

Pavels Steinbors was heroic in goal, keeping out Mahmut Tekdemir brilliantly on two occasions, but they could have easily got the win themselves had Andrej Ilic's dinked effort not rebounded agonisingly back off the crossbar.

Manager Viktors Morozs rested a number of their key players for their Virsliga match at the weekend, which they drew 1-1 against Auda, with standout performers from the Basaksehir match, Alfusainey Jatta and Jovan Vlalukin, among those left on the bench.

That draw has surely ended any hopes of them challenging for the title in Latvia, in which there are just five league games left to play in the season, but a Conference League place looks safely secured again for next season.

If they want their first ever group stage entry to continue into the new year though, they will need to pick up a win on the road, and with Basaksehir struggling of late, they may not get a better chance.

Istanbul Basaksehir Europa Conference League form:

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Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

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Rigas Futbola Skola Europa Conference League form:

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Team News

Among those six alterations which Emre made to the Basaksehir side for the loss to Sivasspor, many of those who faced RFS may come back into the side.

Serdar Gurler offered the main threat for the Turks all throughout the match in Latvia, and after netting twice in their win over Fiorentina, the wide man will be nailed on to start ahead of either Bertrand Traore or Mounir Chouiar.

Veteran Moldovan defender Alexandru Epureanu made his first start in two months in the defeat to Sivasspor, but Ahmed Touba will more than likely come back in to partner Youssouf Ndayishimiye at centre-back.

Ex-Schalke right-back Junior Caicara has started their last two European fixtures and after an impressive display at both ends of the pitch last week, may come back in to replace Omer Ali Sahiner.

Tekdemir has been serving a domestic suspension following a straight red card against Karagumruk, but was instrumental in an attacking sense from midfield last week in the Latvian capital, although Emre has the likes of Turuc, Danijel Aleksic, Lucas Biglia and Berkay Ozcan all to choose from in the middle.

Mesut Ozil will miss out again with a back injury, but there could be returns for Leo Duarte and Patryk Szysz, who have both been missing since the clash with Karagumruk.

RFS have just one player unavailable for this encounter, captain Tomas Simkovic, who picked up an inexplicable second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining last week.

That could mean Morozs may give a chance to Austrian attacker Kevin Friesenbichler from the start for the first time in the group stage, after he scored the equaliser in their league game at the weekend.

Jatta and Vlalukin should come back in to cover the right-hand side of a back five in a game where RFS will more than likely spend much of the game in their own third, but the duo were very solid at keeping Basaksehir's attacking options quiet last week.

Latvian international Steinbors will continue in goal in the competition where the 37-year-old currently tops the rankings for the most saves made by any goalkeeper in the group stage so far.

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Junior Caicara, Ndayishimiye, Touba, Lima; Aleksic, Tekdemir, Biglia; Traore, Okaka, Gurler

Rigas Futbola Skola possible starting lineup:

Steinbors; Vlalukin, Jatta, Jagodinskis, Lipuscek, Mares; Panic, Saric; Friesenbichler, Ilic, Deocleciano

We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 Rigas Futbola Skola

Basaksehir are the only side in the UECL yet to concede a goal, and with the likelihood of RFS playing defensively here, that may remain intact.

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