Fenerbahce will aim to keep their Super Lig title hopes alive when they face Istanbul Basaksehir at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Trailing first-placed Galatasaray by six points, Fenerbahce have won five of their last six league games, while Basaksehir have managed to win just one of their previous seven.
Match preview
© Reuters
Istanbul Basaksehir find themselves fifth in the Turkish Super Lig table – 15 points behind second-placed Fenerbahce – following a 1-0 defeat at Istanbulspor, despite registering 13 shots while enjoying 61% possession on Saturday.
The Grey Owls have now lost four of their last seven league matches, picking up a solitary victory along the way, with defeats to Kayserispor, Alanyaspor and Besiktas preceding last weekend's loss.
That said, Basaksehir have remained a threat on home soil throughout the campaign, winning nine of their 13 league encounters at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium.
Not only have Emre Belozoglu's men won four of their last five home league games, but they have also won six of their previous eight, while a 1-0 victory over Ankaragucu earlier this month marked their eighth home clean sheet of the season.
There is no hiding the fact that Basaksehir have won just two of their last 10 matches across all competitions, but the 2019-20 Super Lig champions are invariably difficult to beat in their own backyard.
© Reuters
Fenerbahce head into Wednesday's showdown on the back of a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ankaragucu, courtesy of last-gasp goals from Enner Valencia and Miguel Crespo.
Ali Sowe gave the visitors the lead on 80 minutes before Valencia equalised from the penalty spot moments later, setting the stage for substitute Crespo to score a 96th-minute winner.
Remarkably, Valencia has now scored a whopping 27 goals in 24 Super Lig appearances this term, netting 14 goals across his previous 10 outings, so it is easy to understand why Fenerbahce are the top scorers in the division.
The Yellow Canaries may have outscored Galatasaray by seven goals, but they still find themselves six points behind their cross-city rivals, despite a run of eight victories in 10 league matches for Jorge Jesus's men.
It is also worth noting that Fenerbahce have won six of their last seven away league outings, so they will be confident of halting Basaksehir's impressive home run.
Team News
© Reuters
Istanbul Basaksehir will be without veteran forward Stefano Okaka on Wednesday, as the 33-year-old has missed the past four league games with a muscle injury.
There are also question marks over the availability of January signing Eden Karzev, who made just two league appearances for Basaksehir before picking up an injury.
Serdar Gurler has racked up 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season, while Deniz Turuc has chipped in with nine goals and four assists from midfield.
Fenerbahce's absentee list contains Michy Batshuayi and Joshua King, who are both sidelined due to muscle injuries, while the Brazilian duo of Luan Peres and Lincoln are also expected to miss Wednesday's clash.
Goal machine Enner Valencia will continue to lead the line, having taken his tally for the season to 31 goals in 39 games across all competitions last time out.
Serdar Dursun is likely to partner Valencia in the forward line, with Uruguayan winger Diego Rossi and 18-year-old prodigy Arda Guler providing attacking support.
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Touba, Lima; Biglia; Szysz, Aleksic, Ozcan, Gurler; Figueiredo
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Egribayat; Osayi-Samuel, Akaydin, Szalai, Alioski; Guler, Yuksek, Zajc, Rossi; Valencia, Dursun
We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-2 Fenerbahce
Buoyed by Saturday's late comeback victory, Fenerbahce look set to add another win to their ever-growing tally, with the title chasers on course to inflict a fifth defeat in eight league outings on off-form Istanbul Basaksehir.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
