The Turkish Super Lig kicks off the new year with Gaziantep FK hosting Pendikspor at the Gaziantep Stadium on Friday.
While the hosts hope to climb the table and avoid relegation, the visitors face a fierce battle for survival at the bottom of the league.
Match preview
Gaziantep ended their four-match winless run with a 3-0 victory at the home of Fatih Karagumruk last time out, as Friday's hosts kept a clean sheet for the first time since their last league win in November against Alanyaspor.
Denis Dragus gave GFK the lead in the first half, before Max Gradel and Nicolas N'Koulou sealed the victory in the second half.
Marius Sumudica's men are 15th in the Turkish Super Lig table with 19 points and are now just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Lying in store next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who they will be facing for the first time in a competitive match, with their only previous encounter being a friendly which the GFK won 2-0.
Currently with the joint third-worst attacking record on home turf in the division, Sumudica's men will need to up the ante at the top end of the pitch if they are to emerge victorious here.
Pendikspor have now failed to win in five consecutive league matches after a 1-1 draw at home against Ankaragucu last time out, leaving Friday's visitors in danger of dropping to the second division at the end of the season.
Efkan Bekiroglu gave Ankaragucu the lead in the first half but Alpaslan Ozturk restored parity with 12 minutes left on the clock, to help the newly-promoted side earn their first points since November 12.
Ivo Vieira's men currently sit 19th in the Super Lig standings after collecting a measly 14 points from their opening 17 matches, meaning they are four points away from 16th-placed Konyaspor, and nine points ahead of bottom club Istanbulspor.
Vieira's men have the poorest home record in the league so far this season, earning just six points in front of their own supporters, but they have fared slightly better on the road with eight points from a possible 27.
However, Pendikspor have allowed more goals than any other side away from home with 21 goals conceded on their trips this season, an issue Vieira will be keen to address.
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- W
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- D
- W
