Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig clash between Konyaspor and Eyupspor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Aiming to crack the top four in the Turkish Super Lig table with a second straight victory, Eyupspor will travel to the Medas Konya Buyuksehir Stadyumu to take on Konyaspor on Sunday.
The visitors bounced back to winning ways at home to Gaziantep last weekend, while their hosts dropped to 11th spot following a defeat to Trabzonspor.
Match preview
© Imago
Konyaspor head into the weekend aiming to return to winning ways in the Turkish Super Lig, having suffered a third defeat of the campaign last weekend in what has been a relatively slow start.
Following a particularly disappointing 16th-placed finish last time around, their lowest since winning promotion to Turkey’s top flight in 2013, the Anadolu Kartali currently sit 11th having earned eight points from their first seven outings.
After making a winning start in mid-August, Ali Camdali‘s side have since managed just one more victory in six attempts, with that three-point haul coming away at Samsunspor last month thanks to Pedrinho‘s goal, while their opening three home fixtures have yielded just two points.
Then on the back of a goalless stalemate with Sivasspor, the Anadolu Kartali most recently faced a tough trip to Trabzonspor on Sunday and left empty-handed, eventually succumbing to a 3-2 defeat having been unable to find a leveller after Hamidou Keyta halved the deficit in the 89th minute.
Now returning to a home ground which has seen them score once and concede twice so far this term, Konyaspor will be keen to kickstart a climb up the division with a three-point haul on Sunday.
They face a tough test, though, with the visitors having enjoyed a pleasing start to their first-ever Turkish Super Lig campaign.
After winning promotion from Turkey’s second tier last time around, Eyupspor have made a relatively seamless transition to life in the top flight, currently sitting seventh having earned 12 points from their first seven outings.
Arda Turan‘s side have particularly shone going forward, with only four sides in the division topping their tally of 12 goals at this stage, having only been shut out once in a goalless stalemate.
Following a five-game unbeaten streak to start the season, the Eyupsultan did suffer a first defeat after a valiant effort away at title-chasing Besiktas, eventually losing 2-1 as Ciro Immobile converted an injury-time penalty for the hosts, and they were quickly able to bounce back last weekend, beating Gaziantep 3-2 on home turf having led 3-1 until the dying embers through Ahmed Kutucu, Emre Akbaba and Mame Thiam.
Now sat sixth in the Super Lig and only trailing fifth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir by a single point and the top four by three points, Eyupspor will bid to continue their encouraging start to the campaign with a fourth victory and a second away from home on Sunday.
Konyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:
Eyupspor Turkish Super Lig form:
Team News
Ali Camdali should field a similar Konyaspor starting XI to last week’s narrow defeat at Trabzonspor on Sunday, although Hamidou Keyta has a claim for a first start in attack after netting his side’s second goal of the game in his third substitute appearance for the club.
Umut Nayir will compete to come in and lead the line in place of Blaz Kramer, while Pedrinho is a key man in support having scored three and assisted one of their eight Super Lig goals so far this term.
Behind him, Marko Jevtovic and Ugurcan Yazgili will continue in the engine room, while Adil Demirbag and Riechedly Bazoer should again partner up at the heart of a back four.
Eyupspor should field an unchanged starting XI from their victory over Gaziantep last time out, with Recep Niyaz and Tayfur Bingol remaining sidelined by injuries.
Mame Thiam will continue to lead the line, having netted his third goal of the season in that game, while wingers Ahmed Kutucu and Emre Akbaba netted the other two goals and will keep their places in a front three.
Samu Saiz is another danger man, having contributed three goals from midfield, with Melih Kabasakal and Fredrik Midtsjo offering solidity in front of the back four.
Konyaspor possible starting lineup:
Slowik; Boranijasevic, Demirbag, Bazoer, Guilherme; Jevtovic, Yazgili; Keyta, Pedrinho, Erdogan; Nayir
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Dubois, Claro, Yalcin, Erkin; Kabasakal, Saiz, Midtsjo; Akbaba, Thiam, Kutucu
We say: Konyaspor 1-1 Eyupspor
Konyaspor certainly have positives to take from their 3-2 defeat to Trabzonspor last time out, while Eyupspor head into a tough trip on Sunday with renewed confidence and on the back of a fine start.
We anticipate a tight contest at the Medas Konya Buyuksehir Stadyumu and see a share of the spoils as the most likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.