Konyaspor vs Çaykur Rizespor – News and Probable Lineups

The Turkish Super Lig returns as Konyaspor prepares to host Caykur Rizespor at the Konya Municipality Stadium for an exciting Saturday night fixture.

Summer transfer dealings have captured the attention of Turkish football, but both teams positioned in the middle of the table have opted for a more reserved strategy in the transfer market, which may pose challenges as they try to keep pace with the league’s top teams.

Match overview

Mason Greenwood, Dusan Vlahovic, Mohamed Salah, Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard, Nathan Ake… while it may seem like a wishlist from the Saudi Pro League, these represent just a few of the significant signings made by Turkish clubs this season.

Unfortunately for Konyaspor supporters, none of these prominent figures chose to come to the sixth-largest city in Turkey.

Nonetheless, the Anatolian Eagles have added six new players this summer, including centre-back Chidozie Awaziem, who made the move from Ligue 2’s FC Nantes for £1m.

These acquisitions were indeed essential, considering the considerable number of players that left the squad over the summer, resulting in numerous vacancies for head coach Ilhan Palut to address.

Apart from transfers, the managerial matchups add another fascinating narrative leading up to Saturday, as the two coaches have effectively swapped roles this past couple of seasons.

Palut is in his second term with Konyaspor, returning to the club last February after Cagdas Atan was fired following a winless run spanning 10 matches.

The 49-year-old aims to recreate the success of his initial stint when he led Konyaspor to a remarkable third-place finish in the Super Lig during the 2021-22 season.

On the other hand, Rizespor is managed by Recep Ucar, who has a deep understanding of Konyaspor, having managed their opponents just a few seasons prior.

Ucar took over at Rizespor in December after Palut’s departure and successfully led the Black Sea club to an eighth-place finish in the Super Lig.

This positioned them one spot above Konyaspor, further raising the stakes for Saturday’s matchup.

Similar to their rivals, Rizespor has resisted the urge to make significant expenditures despite the transfer activity in the league. However, they have fortified their defense by acquiring three players from French lower tiers for a total of about £3m.

Rizespor’s preparations for the new season have also been promising, with several pre-season victories, the only setback being a loss against newly promoted Premier League side Hull City.

With both teams aiming to build on their encouraging pre-season form, two managers with rich history facing their previous clubs, and the backdrop of an increasingly competitive Super Lig, Saturday’s opener is bound to be full of intrigue.

Team News

Konyaspor comes into the season opener without significant injury concerns, but a few of their new signings could be given their first start.

Awaziem was the marquee signing this summer and is anticipated to spearhead the defense.

Experienced left-back Arthur Masuaku is also likely to feature from the beginning after moving from Sunderland. It’s important to note that the 32-year-old participated in all four matches for DR Congo at the recent World Cup.

For Rizespor, they still lack the services of center-back Khusniddin Alikulov, who is sidelined with a ligament tear and is expected to be unavailable for another two months.

Zakaria Ariss is expected to fill the left-back role following his transfer from Ligue 3 team SC Bastia during the summer.

Modibo Sagnan is also anticipated to start at center-back after making a significant move from Montpellier.

Konyaspor probable starting XI:

Pumpkin; Masuaku, Awaziem, Demirbag, Andzouana; Jevtovic, Ibrahimoglu; Reindeer, Wind, Breaker; Kramer

Caykur Rizespor probable starting XI:

Fly; Ariss, Sagnan, Mocsi, Sahin; Antalyaly, Laci; Michaela, Olawoyin, Mebude; Sowe

The first competitive fixture of the season invariably carries a degree of uncertainty; however, with these two clubs being closely matched, a tightly contested match is expected.

Konyaspor will aim to delight their home supporters with an early victory, although it is notable that two of the last four encounters ended in a 1-1 stalemate. With this in mind, a similar outcome is being anticipated.