Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig clash between Bodrumspor and Alanyaspor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Both teams hoping to end their losing streaks, Bodrumspor will host Alanyaspor at the Bodrum Ilce Stadi in a Turkish Super Lig clash on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts have lost their last two matches and are winless in their last three, while the visitors have lost their last three matches.
Match preview
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Bodrum secured promotion to the Super Lig for the first time in their history after promotion playoffs last season, but four losses and one win in their opening five top-flight games was far from an ideal start.
Things appeared to have picked up with successive wins over Hatayspor and Adana Demirspor, and a draw with Kasimpasa, but the joy was short-lived as a 1-0 loss to Rizespor and a 2-0 defeat against Fenerbahce followed in their last two league games.
After three years as the team’s coach and a historic promotion, Ismet Tasdemir appeared to not have an answer to the rigours of top-flight football, and left by mutual agreement after the loss to Fenerbahce.
Former Hatayspor head coach Omer Erdogan has since been appointed to take over the role, and his first point of duty will be to help Bodrum pick up a win in their first-ever meeting with Alanyaspor.
Erdogan’s side are dangerously close to the relegation zone, just one point above with 10 points from 10 matches, which leaves them in 13th place.
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Alanyaspor have endured a poor start to the season, picking up just two wins from 10 matches while losing five times and drawing three.
After failing to win any of their opening four games, losing and drawing two each, things appeared to be improving when a draw with Hatayspor was followed by consecutive wins over Adana Demirspor and Rizespor.
However, Fatih Tekke‘s side have now lost their last three matches against Galatasaray, Kasimpasa, and most recently a 2-1 defeat at home against provincial rivals, Antalyaspor.
The latest loss has plunged them into the relegation zone, as they currently sit in 16th place with nine points after playing 10 matches, tied on points with 15th-placed Gaziantep who have a superior goal difference despite playing one fewer game.
Alanyaspor have played the other two newly promoted sides already this season, and both fixtures ended 1-1, though Tekke’s men were at home on both occasions.
Bodrumspor Turkish Super Lig form:
Alanyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:
Alanyaspor form (all competitions):
Team News
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Bodrum will be without Suleyman Ozdamar and Tunahan Akpinar for the clash, while Mustafa Erdilman is out until next year with a ligament injury.
Meanwhile, Christophe Herelle‘s availability is uncertain, with the defender hoping to recover in time from an ankle injury.
Hwang Ui-Jo and Sergio Cordova have scored three league goals each this season, and Tekke would likely find a way to fit both into the Alanyaspor attack for this clash.
Loide Augusto is the only player in the team to have provided more than one assist this season, with four to his name already, which accounts for over 40 percent of the team’s goals.
Bodrumspor possible starting lineup:
Sousa; Celustka, Ajeti, Aytemur, Sen; Aslan, Mohammed; Dimitrov, Yalcin, Seferi; Puscas
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Ozdemir, Aliti, Lima, Hadergjonaj; Makouta, Richard; Cordova, Janvier, Augusto; Ui-Jo
We say: Bodrumspor 1-1 Alanyaspor
Bodrum will be hoping the new manager bounce myth works in their favour when they take on an Alanyaspor team who have already lost three of their four away matches so far.
We believe that playing at home will work in the hosts’ favour this time, as it will give them the push to edge this clash.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.