Caykur Rizespor vs. Beşiktaş – News and Probable Lineups

Caykur Rizespor aspires to conclude their Turkish Super Lig season on a positive note as they face Besiktas at the Caykur Didi Stadyumu on Friday evening.

The hosts approach this final round in eighth place and still have an opportunity to solidify that finish, whereas the Black Eagles have secured fourth place for the season.

Match overview

Rizespor has ended up ninth in both seasons since their return to the top division, but this term presents a chance to achieve a higher finish.

To secure that goal and keep it within their reach, the Black Sea Sparrowhawks must triumph over Besiktas on Sunday, as they are presently tied on 40 points with Konyaspor, merely ahead on goal difference.

Recep Ucar’s team enters this match with only one victory in their last four league outings, a stretch that also saw two defeats, including a significant 4-0 loss to Eyupspor last time out.

This defeat was nearly determined in the first half, where Rizespor conceded three goals before the break, and a fourth late on exacerbated a challenging evening; however, they will hope that their return home prompts a positive response.

Recent home form at Caykur Didi Stadyumu certainly brings them some optimism, as Rizespor has won their last five home league matches, scoring 12 goals and notching two clean sheets during this span.

Yet past encounters in this fixture narrate a starkly different tale, with the hosts failing to secure victory in their last 12 home matches against Besiktas across all competitions; they lost eight of those games, and their last home league victory over the Black Eagles dates back to 2005.

Besiktas, on the other hand, aims to secure a clean sweep against Rizespor this season having already defeated them 1-0 in the league and 4-1 in the Turkish Cup.

Sergen Yalcin’s squad arrives in Rize after losing some momentum in recent games – a 1-0 defeat to Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup was succeeded by a 2-1 league loss to Trabzonspor, leaving them with little more than a desire to finish the season strongly.

The Black Eagles are mathematically assured of fourth place, sitting four points ahead of fifth-placed Goztepe while being too far adrift of Trabzonspor to make any upward movement.

However, Besiktas has generally performed well away from home this season, accumulating the fourth-most points on the road in the league, although they suffered back-to-back away losses prior to bouncing back with a 2-0 win at Gaziantep on their most recent trip.

Team News

Rizespor continues to be without Uzbequistão defender Khusniddin Alikulov, who has been unavailable since suffering a severe knee injury against Goztepe in January.

Along with him on the injury list is Altin Zeqiri, with the 25-year-old forward set to miss a sixth consecutive game due to an ankle problem.

Besiktas is also expected to be without Kartal Yilmaz because of a torn ankle ligament, while Milot Rashica could miss a third straight match due to a bone edema issue.

Gokhan Sazdagi remains a significant doubt after absence from the last four matchday squads, while Necip Uysal is still serving a suspension relating to the betting controversy.

Caykur Rizespor probable starting XI:

Fly; Hojer, Akaydin, Mocsi, Shovel; I didn’t eat; Michaela, Laci, Olaoyin, Mebude; Sowe

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Destanoglu; Murillo, Agbadou, Djalo, Yilmaz; Earth; Cerny, Olaitan, Kokcu, Toure; Oh

Rizespor has shown strength at home in recent weeks and still possesses sufficient attacking talent to pose challenges for the visitors, especially considering Besiktas’ occasional defensive shortcomings when playing away.

Nonetheless, the Black Eagles still seem to maintain more quality in critical areas of the pitch, and that advantage may propel them toward another away victory to conclude the season.