Trabzonspor will host Kasimpasa in the Super Lig on Monday. Once they’re back on track, the visitors want to stop their worrying decline down the table. The hosts want to stay in the top four.
Preview (Trabzonspor vs. Kasimpasa)
At the Caykur Didi Stadyumu on Thursday, Trabzonspor suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss to Caykur Rizespor, following their 5-1 humiliation to Galatasaray the previous weekend. After a strong start to the season, the Black Sea Storm has lost their last three league games, starting with a 1-1 tie against Antalyaspor. Despite their dismal performance, they have won 11 games and lost seven. It leaves them in third position with 37 points after 22 games. Abdullah Avci’s team is only one point clear of fourth-place Besiktas and two points ahead of fifth-place Rizespor.
The Black Sea Storm will look to go back to winning ways at home, where they have 19 points out of a possible 30, against a team they have defeated six times in the previous 10 meetings, with two draws and two losses. Kasimpasa’s chances of qualifying for Europe were severely damaged as they lost 3-2 to Pendikspor in a thrilling late-night match. Two goals in the first half, one from Gokhan Gul and one from Joher Rassoul’s own goal. It gave Sami Ugurlu’s team the lead twice. But on both occasions, Pendikspor equalized the score thanks to penalties from Mama Thiam and Umut Nayir.
The 90th minute saw Thuram steal the victory for the Istanbul-based team. It shocked the supporters of Kasimpasa just when it looked like the match would end in a draw. Following an encouraging first half of the season, the Apaches appeared to be serious competitors in Europe. Nevertheless, they have collapsed badly, losing 3-0 and 2-1 in the league to İstanbul Basaksehir and 1-0 to second-tier Bandirmaspor in the Turkish Cup fifth round on January 16.
Team News
Trezeguet, Nicolas Pepe, and Paul Onuachu are all away on international service at the Africa Cup of Nations. Injuries have also kept Mislav Orsic and Filip Benkovic out of the starting lineup for Trabzonspor. Enis Destan, who has scored six goals this season, will probably continue to lead the attack in Onuachu’s absence. since Kenneth Omeruo, the center back, Kasimpasa will also be without him since he is abroad at the AFCON with the Nigerian national squad.
Samuel Bastien hasn’t played since October because of a serious injury, and Turkish midfielder Erdem Cetinkaya is now rehabilitating from a thigh issue. After suffering a muscular injury in December, Dries Saddiki has missed Kasimpasa’s previous eight games, and Iron Gomis is currently serving a one-match suspension after receiving too many yellow cards.
Trabzonspor 2-1 Kasimpasa
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