Caykur Rizespor will look to deepen Hatayspor's struggles when they visit Mersin Arena for a Turkish Super Lig round 19 clash on Saturday.
Both sides come into this fixture on winless streaks, but the visitors remain favourites against a home team still reeling from the departure of Riza Calimbay in December and yet to appoint a new manager.
Match preview
Hatayspor's interim boss Yilmaz Bal took charge for their first game of 2025 but faced an uphill battle against Fenerbahce, one of the league's strongest teams, and despite the odds, the 2-1 defeat was a commendable effort from the Star of the South.
This season has been tumultuous for the Star of the South, who have already parted ways with two managers—Ozhan Pulat in September and Calimbay in December, but with the team languishing in 18th place, these decisions reflect the ongoing struggle to escape the relegation zone.
Hatayspor's sole victory in 17 league matches came against Gaziantep in early November. Since then, a six-game winless streak, capped by the loss to Fenerbahce, has left them 10 points adrift of safety.
While survival is still mathematically possible, their current form suggests otherwise, especially after barely avoiding relegation last season.
Historically, Hatayspor have fared well in this fixture when hosting, remaining unbeaten in six such matches across divisions. However, their recent 2-1 home loss to bottom-placed Adana Demirspor paints a bleak picture and raises concerns that their good home record in this matchup could crumble on Saturday.
Rizespor, meanwhile, are also navigating a rough patch. The Black Sea Sparrowhawk are winless in their last four league matches, managing two draws and two losses.
The new year has not been kind to Ilhan Palut's side, who began 2025 with a 1-1 draw against Besiktas in the league last Friday, followed by a disappointing 1-0 defeat to second-tier Fatih Karagumruk in the Turkish Cup on Tuesday.
Rizespor's campaign has been marked by inconsistency – after managing just one win in their first seven league games, they surged with five victories in their next six, helping them rise from their early season dip.
However, their current slump threatens to undo that progress, as they now risk losing their five-point cushion above the relegation zone, having already dropped to the bottom 10.
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Team News
Hatayspor face a mounting injury crisis, with Jonathan Okoronkwo remaining sidelined with a foot injury, while Cemali Sertel, Rigoberto Rivas, Carlos Strandberg and Chandrel Massanga are also unavailable.
However, there is some relief for the hosts, with Francis Calvo, Gorkem Saglam and Joelson Fernandes returning from suspension to bolster the squad.
For Rizespor, Martin Minchev is the only confirmed absentee, with the forward sidelined due to an ankle injury until next month.
Despite his recent scoring struggles, Ali Sowe is expected to lead the line again as the team's centre-forward.
Hatayspor possible starting lineup:
Kardesler; Alici, Buz, Kilama, Corecki; Diack, Saglam; Bamgboye, Pedro, Fernandes; Aboubakar
Caykur Rizespor possible starting lineup:
Cetin; Sahin, Mocsi, Aliqulov, Pala; Hadziahmetovic, Olawoyin; Ghezzal, Varesanovic, Akintola; Sowe
We say: Hatayspor 1-1 Caykur Rizespor
Both Hatayspor and Rizespor enter this clash struggling for form, making a tightly contested affair likely.
The hosts will aim to capitalize on their home advantage, while the visitors seek to arrest their slump while possessing better quality, but ultimately, a lack of clinical finishing on both sides could see this encounter end in a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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