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

Osman Zeki Korkmaz's men head into the weekend without a home win in their last seven outings across all competitions and will be looking to end this poor run.

Match preview

Istanbulspor were denied their first set of consecutive victories in the top flight as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sivasspor at the Yeni Sivas 4 Eylul Stadı last Sunday.

Following an uneventful first half, the game sparked into life four minutes after the hour mark when Valon Ethemi broke the deadlock before Fredrik Ulvestad struck in the 80th minute to force a share of the spoils.

Prior to that, Korkmaz's men picked up their first win of the campaign when they edged out Alanyaspor 1-0 at the Bahcesehir Okullari Arena on August 28 to end their run of three consecutive defeats.

Istanbulspor, who secured promotion courtesy of a 2-1 win over Bandirmaspor in June's playoff final, are currently 16th in the Super Lig standings after picking up four points from their opening five games of the season.

Besiktas, on the other hand, were condemned to their first defeat of the season last Monday when they were beaten 1-0 by high-flying Istanbul Basaksehir on home turf.

In a cagey affair at the Vodafone Arena, Aston Villa loanee Bertrand Traore opened his account for the season when he netted in the 71st minute to hand the Boz Baykuslar all three points.

Prior to that, Besiktas were on a run of four wins and one draw from their opening five games of the 2022-23 campaign, while they were unbeaten in nine straight league outings since the start of May.

With 13 points from their opening six games, Valerien Ismael's men are currently third in the Super Lig standings, one point adrift of first-placed Konyaspor, who are yet to lose a league game this season.

Besiktas, who finished in a disappointing sixth place last term, head into the weekend unbeaten in all but one of their 12 away games in 2022 — claiming five wins and six draws — with March's 2-1 loss against Galatasaray being the only exception.

Istanbulspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbulspor form (all competitions):

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Istanbulspor will have to make do with the absence of Albanian midfielder Eduard Rroca, who is yet to make an appearance this season due to a shoulder injury.

Fellow midfielder Eslem Ozturk has been sidelined since May through an ACL and will play no part in Saturday's game, while Kristal Abazaj is now available for selection after serving his one-match suspension.

Meanwhile, Besiktas will take to the pitch without the midfield duo of Atiba Hutchinson and Rachid Ghezzal, who are currently recuperating from muscle and toe injuries respectively.

They are joined on the club's injury table by Demir Ege Tiknaz, who has been out of action since March through an ACL injury, and veteran goalkeeper Mert Gunok, who is currently nursing a knee problem.

Former Tottenham and Everton forward Dele Alli is also a major doubt for the visiting side after missing the game against Istanbul Basaksehir through an injury he sustained against Ankaragucu on September 4.

Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:

Jensen; Erdogan, Yesil, Aksu; Berber, Sarikaya, Kabasakal, Yasar; Topalli, Ethemi, Yilmaz

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Bilgin; Masuaku, Saiss, Uysal, Rosier; Fernandes, Ucan; N'Koudou, Alli, Muleka; Weghorst

We say: Istanbulspor 0-3 Besiktas

Besiktas head into the weekend looking to make a positive immediate response to picking up their first defeat of the season. They take on a floundering Istanbulspor side, and given the gulf in quality and experience between the teams, we are backing the visitors to ease to all three points.

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