Alanyaspor vs Konyaspor – News and Probable Lineups

Alanyaspor will take on Konyaspor in a crucial encounter this Saturday afternoon at GAIN Park Stadyumu, as both teams aim to break their respective winless spells in the Turkish Super Lig.

The home side has gone four league matches without a win, experiencing two draws and two losses, while the visitors hold the record for the longest active winless streak in the league, failing to secure a victory in 11 games (6D, 5L).

Match overview

Alanyaspor seemed poised to end their win drought last weekend after taking a 2-0 lead in the first 16 minutes against Besiktas, with Guven Yalcin netting both goals; however, they couldn’t maintain that advantage, conceding once in each half to settle for a 2-2 draw.

This result marked the Thunders’ 11th draw of the league season, the most among all teams, showcasing a campaign characterized by close contests and missed opportunities.

Despite their persistent issues, Joao Pereira’s squad remains in 10th place in the rankings with 23 points from 21 matches, offering a glimmer of hope to the local fans, especially following their encouraging performance against Besiktas; their recent record against Konyaspor also suggests a favorable outcome.

Alanyaspor has not been defeated in their last five league matches against the Anatolian Eagles, winning the latest four, with the last three encounters ending 2-1 in their favor.

Konyaspor’s last win in this matchup occurred in 2023 at this very venue, but their current form provides little assurance of replicating that performance.

Nonetheless, the visitors can draw some confidence from their recent goalless draw with Goztepe on Sunday, a match where they restricted their opponents to zero shots on target while generating six chances themselves.

This also marked the debut match for new manager Ilhan Palut, who was appointed just a few days prior as the club’s third head coach of the season.

While initial signs under Palut seem positive, consistency remains the prevailing hurdle, as Konyaspor is still searching for their first league victory since their 2-1 win over Genclerbirligi in October, with defensive weaknesses proving detrimental.

They have conceded 18 goals during their winless streak and a total of 33 this season, which ranks as the fourth-highest in the league.

Currently positioned 12th with 20 points, the Anatolian Eagles are just four points clear of the relegation zone, and another poor stretch could quickly place them in serious jeopardy.

Team News

Alanyaspor has one injury issue to contend with, as Bulut Buluthan is sidelined due to a knee concern, while Yusuf Ozdemir remains under suspension following a betting infringement.

Additionally, Portuguese defender Nuno Lima will be absent due to a build-up of yellow cards, meaning that Borussia Dortmund loanee Baran Mogultay is expected to step in on defense.

Konyaspor’s only known injury is Ufuk Akyol, who has been unavailable since October with a knee issue.

Furthermore, defender Ugurcan Yazgili will also miss out after reaching the threshold for yellow-card suspensions, having received his eighth booking of the season.

Alanyaspor probable starting XI:

Received; Akdag, Aliti, Mogultay; Rouen, January, Makouta, Hardegjonaj; Hwang, Yalcin, Karaca

Konyaspor probable starting XI:

Gungordu; Jo, Bazoer, Demirbag, Guilherme; Cutlu, Bjorlo; Turuc, Svendsen, Muleka; Kramer

Both teams are in desperate need of a victory, yet Alanyaspor seems slightly more positioned to end their streak, buoyed by their spirited performance against Besiktas and their strong recent record in this fixture which should enhance their confidence.

With the hosts often falling narrowly short this season, another close match is expected, but the familiarity of the home side against this rival may finally tip the scales in their favor.