Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig clash between Fenerbahce and Antalyaspor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Fenerbahce will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Antalyaspor to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig clash.
The Yellow Canaries are without a victory in their last three games across all competitions and could find themselves nine points adrift of leaders Galatasaray by kick-off.
Match preview
It has been a busy few weeks for Fenerbahce, with changes occurring at the helm, as Sadettin Saran was elected club president shortly after Domenico Tedesco was appointed manager.
Tedesco’s reign began with promise in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Trabzonspor, but momentum quickly stalled as his side followed up with draws against Alanyaspor (2-2) and Kasimpasa (1-1), before a 3-1 Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb birthed concerns over his early tenure.
The midweek loss in Europe drew sharp criticism from supporters, with some calling for Tedesco’s resignation after what they felt was a lacklustre display, with the blame laid at his feet.
The German coach will be eager to silence those voices by delivering three points on Sunday, and history is on his side, as Fenerbahce are unbeaten in 13 matches against Antalyaspor and have won the last seven.
The Yellow Canaries have generally looked strong at home, recording five wins and two draws in their last seven competitive outings in front of their fans, though the most recent ended in a frustrating draw against Alanyaspor.
Antalyaspor arrive with belief after a 2-1 win at Samsunspor in their last away game, and they were unlucky not to follow it up with another victory, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Kayserispor last weekend to draw 1-1.
Aside from an unexpected home loss to Fatih Karagumruk, Emre Belozoglu will be satisfied with his side’s start to the campaign, having claimed three wins from six matches.
This trip to Istanbul represents their toughest challenge so far, but with only two points separating the sides in the table, the Scorpions will feel they can cause problems for their more illustrious hosts.
On their travels, they have managed two wins and a defeat from three outings, marking a significant turnaround from last season, when they went winless in their final eight away games across all competitions.
Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:
Fenerbahce form (all competitions):
Antalyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:
Team News
Fenerbahce are set to remain without Edson Alvarez (muscle issue) and Jhon Duran (head injury), with both expected to return next month.
Playmaker Anderson Talisca missed the Europa League tie through suspension but should slot straight back into the XI for this one.
Tedesco experimented with a back-three system against Dinamo, with former Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio deployed deeper in midfield, and it will be interesting to see if the manager sticks with that experiment for this clash.
For Antalyaspor, Bahadir Ozturk and Veysel Sari (both muscle injuries) are unavailable, while Erdogan Yesilyurt continues his long recovery from a cruciate ligament problem.
Goalkeeper Ataberk Dadakdeniz, who returned this season from a loan at Erzurumspor, is also nursing a thigh injury.
In attack, summer signing Nikola Storm will be the main outlet, with the winger already scoring twice this season and averaging more shots on target per game (1.3) than any of his teammates.
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Semedo, Soyuncu, Skriniar, Brown; Yuksek, Fred; Szymanski, Asensio, Akturkoglu; En-Nesyri
Antalyaspor possible starting lineup:
Julian; Paal, Dzhikiya, Giannetti, Balci; Dikmen, Ceesay; Omur, Safouri, Storm; Van de Streek
We say: Fenerbahce 2-1 Antalyaspor
Fenerbahce may have stumbled in recent weeks, but the quality within their squad remains undeniable, and with home advantage, passionate backing from their supporters, and the urgency to respond after a difficult run, the Yellow Canaries should have just enough to edge past an Antalyaspor side that has shown plenty of fight this season.
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