Preview: Umraniyespor vs. Ankaragucu - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are bottom of the table, eight points from safety with three games to go, while the visitors are five points clear of the bottom two.

Match preview

Umraniyespor have struggled for vast swathes of the campaign, meaning they will be relegated if they fail to win on Sunday, BUT in truth, the die is already cast, and there is very little chance they will avoid the drop.

Games involving Mustafa Er's side have been very entertaining affairs, and they have been decent in front of goal, recently defeating 11th-placed Sivasspor 4-1, with Umut Nayir bagging a hat-trick.

However, Sunday's hosts have been suspect defensively, failing to keep a clean sheet since early January, when they emerged 1-0 winners away at Giresunspor, and issues at the back are likely to ultimately end up costing them their Super Lig status.

Last time out, Umraniyespor were handed a golden opportunity to pick up three points when Istanbul Basaksehir's Mahmut Tekdemir was shown a red card after just seven minutes, but they could not quite manage to get the job done.

There were promising signs for Er's side, dominating the majority of the game, even having two goals disallowed, but they had to settle for a point, which leaves them in a very bleak position.

On the other hand, Ankaragucu are unlikely to be drawn into the relegation battle at this stage, given that they are five points clear of 16th-placed Giresunspor with just three games to go, but they will want to mathematically confirm their safety this weekend.

The hierarchy of the club from Ankara are likely to be happy with their first season back in the top flight, as they are on track to retain their Super Lig status, managing to win some crucial games in recent weeks.

Tolunay Kafkas's side managed to dig out important victories against relegation-threatened Istanbulspor and Giresunspor back in April, and they picked up a decent point against Antalyaspor last time out, courtesy of some late heroics.

Their opponents were heading towards a 1-0 victory at the Eryaman Stadium, but Milson came off the bench to score a 93rd-minute equaliser, which was probably deserved on the balance of play, as Ankaragucu dominated possession and recorded more shots.

A victory for Kafkas's side this weekend would almost guarantee safety, while simultaneously relegating Umraniyespor, so the stakes are very high for both teams.

Umraniyespor Turkish Super Lig form:

L

L

L

L

W

D

Ankaragucu Turkish Super Lig form:

W

L

W

D

L

D

Ankaragucu form (all competitions):

L

W

D

L

L

D

Team News

Umraniyespor may have a battle on their hands trying to keep Nayir this summer, as the 29-year-old striker has weighed in with 16 league goals, and he is set to lead the line again in a 4-3-3 system, with Jesse Sekidika and Onur Ayik supporting from the wings.

Er made three changes at half time against Basaksehir on Wednesday, indicating he was unhappy with his side's performance, and it would not be a surprise if Isaac Sackey gets the nod over Antonio Mrsic in midfield.

As for Ankaragucu, centre-back Uros Radakovic will continue to miss out due to a knee injury, meaning Arda Kizildag, Atakan Cankaya and Nihad Mujakic should make up the back three, with Kafkas likely to implement a 3-4-2-1 system.

Gokhan Tore is a doubt, with the winger missing the last six games with an injury problem, meaning Milson could get the nod after scoring his second goal of the season from the bench last time out.

Umraniyespor possible starting lineup:

Ozdemir; Popov, Glumac, Epureanu, Lenjani; Goksu, Sackey, Yilmaz; Ayik, Sekidika, Nayir

Ankaragucu possible starting lineup:

Akkan; Kizildag, Cankaya, Mujakic; Malcuit, Dokanovic, Antalyali, Hanousek; Milson, Zahid, Sowe

We say: Umraniyespor 1-1 Ankaragucu

Although Umraniyespor have been poor for the vast majority of the season, they have shown fight in recent weeks, picking up decent results against Sivasspor and Istanbul Basaksehir.

That said, Er's side have struggled at home, and Ankaragucu have managed to dig out draws in two of their last three league games, so it is likely the spoils are shared on Sunday.

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