Antalyaspor vs Eyupspor – News and Probable Lineups

Two teams desperate for a victory face off in the 28th round of the Turkish Super Lig as Antalyaspor welcomes Eyupspor to the New Antalya Stadium on Sunday.

With only three points between them and standing near the bottom of the league, both teams are aiming to ignite a strong late-season run to avoid relegation.

Match overview

In a season fraught with difficulties, Antalyaspor continues to hover near the relegation zone, having recently played to a goalless draw against Istanbul Basaksehir just before the international break.

Both teams struggled to make an impact in the attacking department, with a combined total of 24 shots, yet neither goalkeeper had to retrieve the ball from the net, resulting in a draw that seemed just.

Following that match, Antalyaspor has gone six games without a victory in all competitions, recording four losses and two draws since their last win, a 3-1 triumph over Samsunspor on February 13. This poor form threatens their decade-long tenure in the top tier.

Sami Ugurlu’s squad has experienced 14 defeats in 27 Super Lig fixtures this year, managing six victories and seven draws for a total of 25 points, placing them 14th in the league table, tied with Genclerbirligi, who sit in 13th, yet two points clear of the relegation area.

Just a year after an impressive debut season in Turkey’s top division, Eyupspor finds itself fighting to avoid the drop in what has been a challenging 2025-26 campaign.

Last season, marking their inaugural Super Lig appearance, the Istanbul club secured 15 victories and eight draws in their 36 matches, gathering 53 points and finishing sixth, narrowly missing out on European competition by a single point.

However, Eyupspor’s situation has deteriorated, suffering their 15th defeat of the season just before the international break when they lost 1-0 to Trabzonspor at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on March 18.

Atila Gerin’s team has now lost four matches in a row across all competitions and has seen a lack of wins in eight out of their last nine matches since early February, having started the year strong with two wins and two draws from the first four encounters.

In total, Eyupspor has managed five victories and seven draws across 27 Super Lig games, accumulating 22 points and currently sitting in 17th place, two points behind the 15th-placed Kasimpasa, as they head into the final stretch of seven matches.

Team News

Antalyaspor will be missing Jesper Ceesay and Spanish goalkeeper Julian Cuesta, who are suspended due to reaching the yellow card limit through their bookings against Basaksehir last time out.

In their absence, Abdullah Yigiter is expected to take over in goal, while Belgian forward Nikola Storm could be handed a starting position up front.

As for injuries, Sander van de Streek was taken off due to injury shortly before half time in the match against Basaksehir and will not participate in this weekend’s fixture.

Eyupspor will also face absences with several players missing from key positions, as the likes of Dorin Rotariu, Samu Saiz, and Emre Akbaba remain sidelined.

The trio comprising Taskin Ilter, Metehan Altunbas, and Polish midfielder Mateusz Legowski are currently serving suspensions due to accumulated yellow cards, which complicates head coach Gerin’s selection heading into the New Antalya Stadium.

Antalyaspor probable starting XI:

Yigiter; Yesilyurt, Sari, Ozturk, Dzhikiya, Paal; Dikmen, Safuri, Sinik; Storm, Ballet

Eyupspor probable starting XI:

Felipe; Calegari, Yasar, Ozyurt, Meras; Raux-Yao, Gezek; Radu, Torres, Painter; Bullshit

Antalyaspor and Eyupspor understand that this weekend’s match could be crucial in their fight for survival, thus both teams are expected to leave it all on the pitch.

Gerin’s side has acquired the third-fewest points away from home this season, making it likely that they will struggle at the New Antalya Stadium, with the home side expected to secure a narrow victory.