Alanyaspor vs Istanbul – News and Probable Lineups

On Saturday, Alanyaspor will face off against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Super Lig, looking to gain momentum after recently breaking a four-match winless streak in the league.

The visiting team is keen to bounce back following a dramatic end to their nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions at the hands of Besiktas.

Match overview

Currently positioned 10th in the league, Alanyaspor has accumulated 26 points from 22 outings, with a notable characteristic of their season being a high number of draws.

Having recorded 11 draws — the most in the division — the Thunders have often been competitive without managing to convert those draws into victories.

Defensively, they have been fairly solid, with just four teams allowing fewer than the 25 goals they have conceded; however, failing to capitalize on opportunities has hindered their chase for a European spot.

On a positive note for Joao Pereira’s squad, they secured a 2-1 win against Konyaspor in their last match and will now seek to achieve consecutive league wins for only the second time this season.

Their confidence may also be bolstered by their recent outings against this opponent, having drawn 1-1 in their previous match and narrowly won a thrilling 5-4 encounter the last time Basaksehir visited.

Meanwhile, Basaksehir encountered a disappointing 3-2 loss to Besiktas in their last match, conceding a goal deep into injury time after equalizing in the 88th minute, which snapped an eight-game unbeaten stretch in the Super Lig.

Despite this setback, Nuri Sahin’s team has little cause for despair, as this is likely just a minor blip in what has been a strong period for the Grey Owls, who are presently 6th in the table with 33 points.

Since November 29, the Istanbul club has only lost twice across all competitions, both to teams currently above them in the standings: league leaders Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup and Besiktas in the league.

The Grey Owls will thus travel confidently, especially considering they have accumulated more points on the road (19) than at home (14) this season.

Team News

Alanyaspor’s injury list is minimal, with Bulut Buluthan out due to a knee issue, while Yusuf Ozdemir is still serving a suspension stemming from a betting infraction.

Defender Fidan Aliti will also be unavailable due to suspension after accumulating too many yellow cards.

Florent Hadergjonaj, who played a crucial role by scoring the winning penalty last time out and has created six significant chances this season, is expected to be instrumental once again from his position at wing-back.

Basaksehir has nearly a full squad available, though forward Bertug Yildirim remains a doubt after picking up an injury in the match against Besiktas.

Yildirim has averaged three shots on target per game and has netted five goals in the league, often coming off the bench.

German striker Davie Selke, who scored his fourth league goal of the season last time out, is likely to be the focal point of the attack.

Alanyaspor probable starting XI:

Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Opoku, Operi; Kemen, Gunes; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Harit; Selke

Istanbul Basaksehir probable starting XI:

Translation; Akdag, Bruno, Five; Ruan, January, Makouta, Hardegjonaj; Hwang, Yalcin, Karaca

Alanyaspor, known for their drawing capabilities, appear revitalized after their victory over Konyaspor, but against Basaksehir, who have proven to be a strong away side under Nuri Sahin, we anticipate a tightly contested match, with a draw being the most probable outcome.