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

Victory in their final two outings will guarantee Senol Gunes's men the runners-up spot as they sit three points below second-placed Fenerbahce, who have just one game left to play.

Match preview

After what has been a rollercoaster campaign, Kasimpasa have their sights on a top-half finish after pulling themselves from the doldrums at the business end of the season.

Kemal Ozdes's men picked up a third victory on the bounce last Tuesday when they came from behind to edge out Alanyaspor 3-1 at the Bahcesehir Okullari Stadium.

Oguz Aydin broke the deadlock in the 49th minute to put the hosts ahead but Papy Djilobodji, Bengali-Fode Koita and Mamadou Fall scored in an 18-minute spell to turn the game on its head.

Kasimpasa, who have picked up 10 points from the last 12 available, now return home, where they are unbeaten in five of their last six matches, claiming four wins and one draw since the start of February.

This fine run of form has seen the Istanbul outfit surge to 10th place in the Super Lig standings, four points behind ninth-placed Fatih Karagumruk, with two games left to play.

Besiktas, on the other hand, kept their race for a top-two finish alive last time out when they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Adana Demirspor at the 5 Ocak Fatih Terim.

After falling behind to Younes Belhanda's 19th-minute opener, the 16-time champions hit back with four straight goals, including a brace from Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar.

Gunes's men have now won four league matches on the spin and are unbeaten in their last 11, claiming nine wins and two draws since February's 1-0 loss to Sivasspor.

A slow start to the season has now cost Besiktas, with their blistering run of form coming far too late to trouble Galatasaray, who clinched the league title last weekend, thanks to a five-point lead at the top of the table.

The goal for the Kara Kartallar will now be to beat Fenerbahce to the runners-up spot as they sit three points behind Jorge Jesus's men heading into their final two games of the season

Kasimpasa Turkish Super Lig form:

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Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

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D

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Team News

Kasimpasa remain without Ali Gholizadeh, who has been out of action since coming off with a knee injury while on international duty for Iran back in March.

Following an eye-catching cameo against Alanyaspor, Koita could be rewarded with a starting role, teaming up with Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Fall in attack.

Besiktas will have to cope without experienced defender Omar Colley, who will serve a one-game suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Adana Demirspor.

On the injury front, Gunes will be unable to call upon the services of Ersin Destanoglu and Kerem Kalafat, who are recuperating from abdominal and knee injuries respectively.

Turkish defender Tayyib Talha Sanuc sustained an ACL injury in April's game against Fenerbahce and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:

Canpolat; Hadergjonaj; Donk, Djilobodji, Ozcan; Malsa, Kara, Eysseric; Fall, Ouanes, Koita

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Rosier, Saiss, Welinton, Masuaku; Ucan, Hadziahmetovic; Redmond, Fernandes, Tosun; Aboubakar

We say: Kasimpasa 1-3 Besiktas

Saturday's game sees two in-form teams battle it out and we anticipate a thrilling contest at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium. Given the gulf in class and quality between the two sides, we fancy Besiktas coming away with all three points to keep their top-two charge alive.

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