Eyupspor will host Trabzonspor at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium on Sunday evening in a Turkish Super Lig clash.
The hosts are unbeaten after their first three matches, while the visitors have only played one game due to their European commitments.
Match preview
Eyupspor, who secured their first-ever promotion to the top flight of Turkish league football, have continued their strong start to life in the Super Lig.
Arda Turan's men drew 1-1 with Alanyaspor on matchday one, before a 4-1 victory over Bodrum and a 1-0 win away at Sivasspor in their last league outing.
The Istanbul side took the lead in the eighth minute via Ahmed Kutucu, and they held on to this lead to secure their first win on the road in the Super Lig.
With seven points, Eyupspor are in second place and one of the six teams yet to lose a game in the Super Lig this season – but this status will be put to the test in their first-ever meeting against Trabzonspor.
Trabzonspor have been involved in European action since July after qualifying for the Europa League last season but the Black Sea Storm saw their European run end on Thursday.
Abdullah Avci's side defeated Ruzomberok 3-0 on aggregate in the Europa League second qualifying round but were eliminated by Rapid Wien in the third qualifying round, dropping to the Conference League.
However, they lost to St. Gallen on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate score in the Conference League play-offs, ultimately squashing their European hopes.
Due to their European commitments, Trabzonspor have only played one Super Lig game, a goalless draw with Sivasspor on August 11.
With their focus now on the league, Avci's men will look to pick up their first win against an in-form Eyupspor side – however, their lack of goalscoring prowess could prove costly.
Team News
Eyupspor will enter Sunday's match with a full squad, giving the manager plenty of options to choose from.
Samu Saiz, despite being a substitute in all three games so far, has scored more goals than any other player on the team and will continue to press for a starting place.
Like their opponents, Trabzonspor also have no injury or suspension concerns ahead of this match, but Avci could still make changes to improve their struggling attack.
However, Enis Destan is expected to keep his place in the forward line after scoring in the draw against St. Gallen.
Eyupspor possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Bingol, Yalcin, Claro, Meras; Midtsjo, Kutucu, Akbaba, Saiz, Bruno; Thiam
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Malheiro, Mendy, Denswil, Elmali; Tufan, Lundstram; Visca, Canak, Trezeguet; Destan
We say: Eyupspor 1-1 Trabzonspor
Eyüpspor have made a strong start to the season, showing no fear against any opponent, and this is why we believe they could secure a draw against a Trabzonspor side that has struggled to score goals in their matches so far this season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
