Eyupspor vs Caykur Rizespor – News and Probable Lineups

In what could be a crucial fixture for the season, Eyupspor, who are fighting relegation, will be eager for a good result as they host Caykur Rizespor at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium in the second last match of the Turkish Super Lig season on Saturday.

Rizespor, after a hard-fought win against Konyaspor last time out, have solidified their position in the upper half of the standings, while the home team finds themselves just one point clear of the relegation danger zone, with a challenging final game against Fenerbahce on the horizon.

Match overview

Eyupspor’s aspirations for a third consecutive win were hindered last Sunday when Kayserispor’s Indrit Tuci scored an equalizer in a 1-1 draw at the Kadir Has Stadium.

While the draw felt like two points lost for Eyupspor, coach Atila Gerin will take comfort in the improvement shown by his team during this decisive phase of the season, having gathered seven points from the last nine available after a period of underwhelming performances.

Before the stalemate last weekend, Eyupspor broke a streak of six straight defeats on April 18, overcoming a deficit to win 2-1 against Fatih Karagumruk, one week ahead of a convincing 3-0 win over Gaziantep at home.

This resurgence has allowed the Istanbul club to escape the dreaded bottom three, now sitting 14th in the Super Lig standings, tied on 29 points with Antalyaspor in 15th, and one point above Genclerbirligi in 16th as they approach the final two fixtures.

A winning result this Saturday could secure their safety, but they face a tough task against a team that has bested them in their last five meetings, including four consecutive losses since their last goalless draw in October 2022.

Eyupspor has struggled in front of goal, scoring the joint second-fewest goals in the league so far, but has managed to score six of their 26 goals in their last three matches, offering some optimism for the upcoming match.

Conversely, Caykur Rizespor secured a vital three points last Friday in their quest for a top-half finish, rallying from behind to claim a 3-2 victory over Konyaspor at the Caykur Didi Stadium.

After conceding an early goal by Jo Jin-ho in the 16th minute, Rizespor responded strongly with three unanswered goals from Qazim Laci, Adedire Mebude, and Loide Augusto, before Yhoan Andzouana managed to pull one back for the opposition with a powerful shot in the box late in the game.

With this victory, Rizespor has now won their last five home league matches, netting 12 goals and securing two clean sheets following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Galatasaray on February 8.

A strong finish to the season has seen Recep Ucar’s team rise to eighth in the league table, equalling Konyaspor on 40 points, with three wins in their last five outings raising their total to 10 victories as they head into the final stretch.

A win this weekend would ensure Rizespor’s place in the top half for the third consecutive season since their promotion in 2023, though they have struggled on the road, managing to win only one out of 13 away matches across all competitions since early November.

Team News

Eyupspor will be without veteran midfielder Taskin Ilter, who was injured during the second half against Kayserispor last match.

If the club captain cannot recover in time for the weekend’s clash, 20-year-old Baran Ali Gezek is likely to take his place in central midfield alongside Frenchman Charles Raux Yao.

Romanian forward Dorin Rotariu remains sidelined after sustaining a serious injury in March, having missed the last eight matches, and he will be unavailable for the hosts this weekend.

On the other hand, Rizespor will miss Uzbequistão defender Khusniddin Alikulov, who has been out of action since suffering a severe knee injury against Goztepe in January.

He is joined on the injury list by 25-year-old forward Altin Zeqiri, who will sit out his sixth consecutive match due to an ankle injury.

Eyupspor probable starting XI:

Yilmaz; Calegari, Claro, Ozyurt, Meras; Vibration, Yao; Radoux, Legowski, Altunbass; Bozo

Caykur Rizespor probable starting XI:

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

Eyupspor has intensified their efforts in recent weeks in an attempt to avoid relegation, but they face a formidable Caykur Rizespor team that has claimed victory in their last four encounters.

Rizespor appears to have a marginally stronger lineup on paper, but with the stakes high for this weekend’s clash, it’s anticipated that Eyupspor will come out fighting, looking to secure all three points in front of their home crowd, with the forwards delivering once again.