Trabzonspor will welcome already-relegated Istanbulspor to Papara Park on Sunday evening in round 36 of the Turkish Super Lig.
The hosts are looking to hold on to the Europa League spot and cannot avoid dropping points here with teams lurking behind.
Match preview
Trabzonspor secured their place in the Turkish Cup final after a 4-0 win over Fatih Karagumruk on Wednesday, sealing a convincing 7-2 aggregate victory and will now face Besiktas in the final.
The Black Sea Storm struggled to break the deadlock in the first half but turned up the heat in the second. Paul Onuachu, Taxiarchis Fountas and a brace from Umut Bozok all found the net, capping a memorable night for the club.
However, Abdullah Avci's side suffered a setback in their grip on third place after a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Samsunspor in their last league outing. With 58 points after 35 matches, they now hold a slender three-point lead over fourth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.
Looking to avoid a slip-up, they will host rock-bottom Istanbulspor on Sunday. This match comes amidst a four-match home supporter ban imposed following the incident against Fenerbahce in March.
Despite the lack of home support, Trabzonspor emerged victorious in their last home league game against Gaziantep. They will be confident of securing back-to-back home wins against a side they have not lost to since 2001.
Already relegated, Istanbulspor fell 1-0 to Adana Demirspor on Saturday at the Bahcelievler II Ozel Idare Stadium, marking their 24th league defeat in 35 games.
The Bulls, with only 16 points, are mathematically assured of relegation, ending their two-season stint in the top-flight.
Istanbulspor return to the second tier after a turbulent season marred by managerial changes, points deductions and even abandoning a match due to a refereeing decision.
Their woes could be compounded when they face Trabzonspor on Sunday, as the Bulls are on an 11-game winless run against them.
Team News
The hosts will be without Huseyin Turkmen who is also sidelined with a muscle injury, while every other player is available.
Onuachu has scored four goals in the last three matches since coming back from injury and he will look to add more to his tally when he leads the attack on Sunday.
Eslem Ozturk is sidelined with an ankle injury and is unlikely to feature for the visitors again this season.
Emir Gultekin should lead the line once again as Istanbulspor are likely to stick to the 3-2-4-1 formation they utilized against Demirspor.
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Meunier, Mendy, Denswil, Bosluk; Pepe, Ozdemir; Bardhi; Visca, Onuachu, Fountas
Istanbulspor possible starting lineup:
Arda; Yesil, Coly, Deli; Duhaney, Yasarl; Mamadou, Loshaj, Vorobjovas, Sambissa; Gultekin
We say: Trabzonspor 2-0 Istanbulspor
Trabzonspor faltered last weekend but their cup victory should restore their confidence heading into this match. They are the clear favorites here against a visiting team that have looked abysmal all season. We expect a comfortable win for the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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