Istanbul vs Konyaspor – News and Probable Lineups

Buoyed by their impressive upset, Konyaspor, managed by Ilhan Palut, is set to face a strong Istanbul Basaksehir team at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Friday evening.

Many dismissed the chances of the Anatolian Eagles against the Turkish Super Lig leaders, Galatasaray, last week, yet they delivered a remarkable performance to claim a 2-0 victory.

Match overview

In a result that sent shockwaves through Turkish football, Konyaspor found the net with both of their shots on target, as centre-back Adil Demirbag opened the scoring in the 75th minute, before Blaz Kramer doubled the lead just six minutes later, marking a historic win for the Central Anatolian team.

This victory ended a 12-match winless streak in the Super Lig (6D, 6L), broke a seven-match winless run against Galatasaray (1D, 6L), and intensified the title race by allowing Fenerbahce to narrow the distance at the top to just two points.

Equally important for Konyaspor, it elevated them to 13th place with 23 points, three points above the relegation zone with 11 matches remaining, providing necessary breathing room in the ongoing struggle to avoid dropping down.

Since his reappointment on 6 February, Palut has quickly reestablished the defensive stability that characterized his prior tenure, with his squad allowing only two goals in three matches under his renewed leadership, addressing a vulnerability that had affected them earlier in the season.

This Friday’s match, however, will present a more rigorous test of whether the win over Galatasaray marked a real turning point; notably, the last three encounters between these teams have failed to see an away victory, a trend the visitors will be eager to overturn.

Conversely, Basaksehir enters the fixture in high spirits and, having lost the first fixture 2-1 in September, they will look to make the most of their home advantage this time around.

Since 29 November, the Istanbul side has endured only two defeats across all competitions — against Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup and Besiktas in the league — both teams currently ranked above them in the table.

Following the end of their eight-match unbeaten streak in the league (6W, 2D) against Besiktas, the Grey Owls bounced back superbly with a 2-1 win away at Alanyaspor, courtesy of first-half strikes from Davie Selke and Eldor Shomurodov, with the latter converting a penalty, ensuring a quick return to victories.

Basaksehir is positioned sixth with 36 points from 23 matches, and despite being seven points behind the European qualification spots, they have garnered more points than any other team in the last 10 league fixtures (23), momentum that bolsters their belief in closing the gap.

Team News

Basaksehir will be missing key defender Leonardo Duarte, who is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while Amine Harit remains doubtful after picking up an injury against Alanyaspor.

Shomurodov has found the net in four of his last six league matches, totaling 16 goals this season, just one goal behind the league’s top scorer.

Playing just behind Selke — who is on a three-game scoring streak in the league — both players are significant offensive threats for the Grey Owls in this match.

For Konyaspor, their only confirmed absence is Ufuk Akyol, who has been sidelined since October due to a knee injury.

Rayyan Baniya is close to returning from a shin injury and may play, while veteran defender Guilherme, who missed the victory over Galatasaray for unspecified reasons, will be evaluated before kick-off.

Istanbul Basaksehir probable starting XI:

Think; Sahiner, Ba, Opoku, Operi; Sagittarius, the Sun; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Brnic; Shaky

Konyaspor probable starting XI:

Gungordu; Andzouana, Yazgili, Demirbag, Boluk; Kutlu, Ibrahimoglu; Turuc, Bjorlo, Olaigbe; Muleka

Konyaspor will be riding high on confidence following their surprise win over Galatasaray, but maintaining that form on the road poses a different challenge, particularly against Basaksehir, who have been one of the strongest sides in the Turkish Super Lig, and that may present too great an obstacle for Palut’s men at this moment.