After picking up their first win of the 2021-22 campaign at the weekend, Istanbul Basaksehir will once again be desperate for three points when they travel to Gaziantep on Wednesday afternoon.
Istanbul Basaksehir had started the season in torrid fashion losing their first four fixtures, whilst Gaziantep have also struggled to get going.
Match preview
Following two runner-up finishes in three seasons, Istanbul Basaksehir finally secured their maiden Turkish Super Lig title in the disrupted 2019-20 campaign.
Qualification to the group stage of the Champions League followed, where Istanbul Basaksehir finished bottom in the 'group of death' with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and RB Leipzig.
Unable to follow up their title success with another league title, Istanbul Basaksehir slumped to a 12th-placed finish last season, before getting off to a terrible start this year.
Four defeats from their first four matches, including shock results against Kayserispor and Goztepe, left Istanbul Basaksehir stranded at the bottom of the table without any points.
Much to the surprise of many, Istanbul Basaksehir's turning point came against early-season highflyers Fenerbahce, who had been sitting pretty at the top of the table following an unbeaten start.
It was only their fifth victory against the record Turkish champions in 15 meetings, with former Fenerbahce boss Aykut Kocaman masterminding a 2-0 win over his old club.
Whilst the victory was a welcome one for the Gray Owls, it was not able to drag them out the relegation zone, with the club from Turkey's biggest city still languishing down in 18th.
Two points and six places above Istanbul Basaksehir sit Gaziantep, who have also enjoyed an upturn in form following a sluggish start to the season.
Winless from their first three matches, Gaziantep cruised to their first victory of the campaign with a 2-0 triumph over Antalyaspor in the first game back after the international break, before picking up a valuable point during their 1-1 draw with Sivasspor.
Following promotion to the top tier for the first time ever in 2019, Gaziantep have been comfortable finishers in mid-table without ever being threatened by the drop.
After arriving at the club in May, the target for Erol Bulut in his first full season in charge of Gaziantep will once again be to secure survival and the Falcons can take a huge step clear of the relegation zone with a win over Istanbul Basaksehir.
With little to separate the two sides on paper, Gaziantep will turn to their immediate record against Istanbul Basaksehir to inspire them, as the team from South-East Turkey have won their last two matches against Wednesday's opponents.
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- W
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Team News
Furkan Soyalp featured in Gaziantep's first two matches of the season, yet has not featured for the side since undergoing an appendectomy in early September and will not feature against Istanbul Basaksehir.
Hamza Mendyl has already been booked three times this season, with the left-back at risk of a suspension should he pick up another two yellow cards.
Angelo Sagal had a mixed debut for Gaziantep against Fatih Karagumruk, scoring just 17 minutes in, before being shown a second yellow card before half time and having now served his suspension, the 28-year-old forward is likely to feature in some capacity.
Omer Ali Sahiner featured in each of Istanbul Basaksehir's first four matches, before sitting their victory over Fenerbahce out through injury and the winger will once again be absent.
Ahmed Kutucu made three substitute appearances at the start of the campaign, yet has not featured for Istanbul Basaksehir in their last two matches.
Junior Caicara will once again be unavailable for Istanbul Basaksehir, after he was suspended by the club following a critical post made about the team online.
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Guvenc; Kitsiou, Caulker, Djilobodji, Pehlivan; Figueiredo, Merkel, Messaoudi; Jefferson; Demir, Niyaz
Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:
Babacan; Sahiner, Ndayishimiye, Duarte, Lima; Cigerci; Visca, Tekdemir, Ozcan, Turuc; Okaka
We say: Gaziantep 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Whilst both sides will no doubt be desperate for a win given their precarious league position, both Istanbul Basaksehir and Gaziantep would probably welcome a point should they be offered it.
Yet to have a draw in the previous meetings between the two, a first stalemate could be on the cards given the pair's performances this year.
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