Bodrumspor aim to end a wretched run of results when they host a Sivasspor side six places above them in the Turkish Super Lig table in Friday's gameweek 16 clash at Bodrum Ilce Stadi.
The away side should ideally be favourites to extend the home side's seven-match winless run, but Yigidos entering the fixture without winning in four means the outcome is far from guaranteed.
Match preview
While there was excitement before Bodrum's maiden top-flight season, the optimism has given way to pessimism regarding the club's survival prospects.
Even though the new boys lost four of their opening seven matches, three wins in that period meant the promoted outfit began the 2024-25 campaign respectably.
However, results have fallen off a cliff since September 29's 3-1 triumph against Adana Demirspor, following a 1-0 road success over Hatayspor.
Seven fixtures later, Bodrum have not added to their third Super Lig win in late September, falling to five defeats during the winless sequence.
Not even a managerial change has turned the tide, with Volkan Demirel still seeking his first victory since replacing Ismet Tasdemir at the end of October: the former Turkey goalkeeper has fallen to three league losses in his four games in charge.
Although goals conceded are an obvious bother, the third-bottom club firing blanks in six of the previous eight matches should boost Sivasspor's prospects.
The visiting club must show something different from the four-match sequence without success, losing three, leaving Bulent Uygun's men 11th in the standings.
A closer look at the Braves' results show two of the three defeats suffered were against second-placed Fenerbahce (0-4) and table-topping Galatasaray (2-3), even if the recent loss to the defending league champions disappointed this weekend's visitors.
Uygun's men had the advantage of playing against 10 men on their turf after Metehan Baltaci's 15th-minute dismissal, but the Sivas-based club could not hold on despite going 1-0 up through Garry Rodrigues' 25th-minute strike.
The ongoing winless sequence has followed a three-match positive run, where Sivasspor outscored their opponents, notching triumphs over Hatayspor (3-2), Adana DS (4-2), and Rizespor (2-1).
Indeed, Yigidolar hope to be on the right side of a result after a dispiriting month in their penultimate Super Lig fixture of 2024, keen to avoid being sucked into the relegation discussion — the 11th-placed club are four points clear of Alanyaspor in 16th.
Team News
While Christophe Herelle (ankle) is doubtful for Bodrum, Suleyman Ozdamar (Achilles), Tunahan Akpinar (shin), and Mustafa Erdilman (knee) are missing for the hosts.
George Puscas (four) has netted 40% of the hosts' 10 goals, and the forward aims to add to that return on Friday, while Taulant Seferi seeks to add to his two strikes.
Sivasspor will be without the suspended Noah Sonko Sundberg and Djordje Nikolic after accumulating yellow cards, while Erdem Gulec (leg), Samuel Moutoussamy (thigh), Mehmet Albayrak (knee) and Eymen Yurdcu (knee) are out injured.
Although Rey Manaj leads the way with four goals for the visitors, also pivotal to Yigidos' chances are Ugur Ciftci, Azizbek Turgunboev and Rodrigues, who have fashioned seven, five and three clear-cut chances respectively.
However, the visitors need improved execution from Bengali-Fode Koita (two goals), who has failed to convert six big chances, joint-sixth in the entire division.
Bodrumspor possible starting lineup:
Akkan; Ergun, Ajeti, Celustka, Bayrakdar; Antalyali, Ribeiro; Dimitrov, Brazao, Seferi; Puscas
Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Nikolic; Camara, Radakovic, Basyigit; Paluli, Charisis, Poungouras, Cifti; Koita, Manaj, Rodrigues
We say: Bodrumspor 1-2 Sivasspor
While Bodrumspor should benefit from their extended rest — they last played on November 30 — Sivasspor's superior technical quality should see the away side notch their sixth league triumph this term and end a four-game run without success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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