Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig clash between Gaziantep and Fenerbahce, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Fourth in the Super Lig table, Gaziantep welcome third-placed Fenerbahce in Monday’s 10th round clash, aiming to leapfrog their Istanbul visitors.
Both teams are among the league’s top scorers; however, the Antep hosts’ tendency to concede highlights their all-or-nothing approach, promising an intriguing contest at Gaziantep Stadyumu.
Match previewGaziantep’s start to the new season marks a significant improvement for the team that finished the previous campaign in 14th place, thanks to Burak Yilmaz’s efforts since taking charge in August.
The Falcons jettisoned Ismet Tasdemir after back-to-back 3-0 losses against Galatasaray and Konyaspor to begin the season, with Yilmaz taking over the team in 18th place.
Since his appointment on August 19, Gaziantep have won five and drawn two of their seven Super Lig matches, climbing to fourth place in the early standings.
While their current position secures participation in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, Sahinler must perform competently to maintain their place for the rest of what is a lengthy season for all clubs vying for European spots.
Consequently, it remains uncertain if their tendency to outscore opponents is sustainable for the remainder of the campaign, considering Yilmaz’s team have kept just two clean sheets all season and conceded two or more goals three times already: twice winning 3-2 against Kasimpasa and Antalyaspor, and drawing 2-2 with Samsunspor.
Like Fenerbahce, the Falcons are among the league’s top scorers, netting 15 times — one more than Monday’s visitors — but conceding 14 goals, which is more than anyone else in the division’s top half after nine games.
Fener will look to exploit Gaziantep’s defensive vulnerabilities in the 10th round, aiming to secure a positive result away from Istanbul.
Domenico Tedesco replaced Jose Mourinho in early September after the legendary Portuguese manager was dismissed the previous month, with the Yellow Canaries lying seventh at the time.
An improvement in fortunes has lifted last year’s runners-up to third position before the 10th gameweek, though they remain six points behind the defending league champions, Galatasaray.
Despite their unbeaten start — a record they share with Gala — Tedesco’s team might be hampered by their tendency to draw many games, which has seen them drop points in three of their previous five league fixtures.
This issue is even more pronounced on their travels, where they have played out three draws from four away matches, including consecutive games on the road at Kasimpasa (1-1) and Samsunspor (0-0).
Two goalless away games highlight their tendency to keep matches tight on the road, one that will be tested against their hosts, who have scored nine goals and conceded eight in their five games in Antep this season.
In a contest they have dominated since losing 3-2 in December 2021, Fenerbahce are chasing a 10th consecutive victory over Monday’s hosts, and they hope their defensive organisation will lead them to triumph at Gaziantep Stadyumu.
Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:
Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:
Fenerbahce form (all competitions):
Team News
Gaziantep physios will assess Myenty Abena and Christopher Lungoyi’s injuries, though Ali Mevran Ablak and Salem M’Bakata are likely absent due to knee issues.
Although Lungoyi is still expected to play, Kacper Kozlowski (three goals) and Alexandru Maxim (two) aim to be key for the hosts in the upcoming fixture if the left winger does not feature.
Fenerbahce are likely to be without Cenk Tosun, Irfan Can Kahveci and Mert Hakan Yandas on Monday.
Youssef En-Nesyri and Anderson Talisca have scored four and three goals respectively, making up 50% of the Yellow Canaries’ 14 strikes, positioning them as the visitors’ main threats.
Marco Asensio has netted twice in five appearances (four starts) for Tedesco’s side, and the former Real Madrid player aims to score in consecutive league matches after the match-winning goal in gameweek nine.
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Boznan; Perez, Kizildag, Sanuc, Rodrigues; Kabasakal, Camara; Kozlowski, Maxim, Lungoyi; Bayo
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Brown; Asensio, Alvarez, Yuksek; Nene, En-Nesyri, Akturkoglu
We say: Gaziantep 1-1 FenerbahceDespite Fenerbahce’s dominance in this fixture, this season’s results suggest that historical trends may not apply on Monday.
With Gaziantep prolific at home and the Istanbul visitors goal shy on the road, the spoils could be shared in Aintab.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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