Sports Mole previews Saturday's Turkish Super Lig clash between Genclerbirligi and Alanyaspor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Fresh from a dramatic draw on the road with just nine men, Genclerbirligi return to the comfort of home as they welcome Alanyaspor to Eryaman Stadium in the Super Lig on Saturday afternoon.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the 2020-21 season, when the Ankara outfit did the double over Alanya.
Match preview
Genclerbirligi endured a rough start to life back in the top flight, losing their opening five matches, but a crucial win against Eyupspor in their penultimate game seems to have sparked some belief.
Their last outing away to Kayserispor almost brought another victory, as they held on from the 26th minute despite being reduced to nine men by the 70th - and while they conceded a gut-wrenching equaliser in the 91st minute, the performance showed renewed fight.
Manager Huseyin Eroglu criticised Franco Tongya's red card - their second dismissal of the afternoon - but he also praised the resilience his side displayed to escape with a point in such circumstances.
That fighting spirit will be essential if Gencler are to avoid slipping straight back down, but the bigger issue remains their lack of goals - with just five scored so far, Eroglu himself admitted that sharper finishing is the key to climbing the table.
The Ankara club enjoyed the upper hand against Alanyaspor in their last two seasons before relegation, picking up three wins and a draw.
It marked a reversal of fortunes after Alanyaspor had dominated the fixture previously, winning four and drawing two of the prior six meetings - a record they will now look to re-establish.
Joao Pereira's side arrive in mixed form, without a win in their last three league outings (D2, L1), though their display in the 1-0 loss to Galatasaray was far from discouraging.
In fact, Alanyaspor were so dominant that club president Hasan Cavusoglu insisted the game should have ended 5-1 or 6-1 in their favour, and the stats backed him up, with his team generating 22 attempts and eight on target compared to Galatasaray's meagre seven efforts with two on target.
Pereira's men have scored in all but two matches this season, and while they must be more clinical to end their current winless run, they can take heart from being unbeaten in their last three away trips (1W, 2D) and finding the net in all four games on the road so far.
Genclerbirligi Turkish Super Lig form:
D
W
L
L
L
L
Alanyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:
L
D
D
W
W
L
Team News
Genclerbirligi have collected the most red cards in the Super Lig this season (3), with Malian striker Sekou Koita receiving the second after coming off the bench against Kayserispor, lasting just four minutes before being dismissed, a setback that rules him out of Saturday's clash through suspension.
Summer signing Tongya has experienced contrasting fortunes in recent weeks -- opening his account for Genclerbirligi in the win over Eyupspor, before being sent off in the last game, which now leaves him suspended for the weekend.
Peter Etebo is out for the season with an Achilles tendon rupture, while Ensar Kemaloglu and Abdullah Sahindere remain unavailable after long-term knee injuries sustained last campaign.
Firatcan Uzum has missed the last two matches, while Moussa Kyabou has been absent for three due to bone edema.
Goalkeeper Erhan Erenturk ranks third in the Super Lig for saves per match (3.7) and continues to be a crucial figure in keeping Genclerbirligi competitive while their attack struggles to find rhythm.
Alanyaspor, meanwhile, have a near full-strength squad, with only Buluthan Bulut still recovering from a knee injury sustained in January.
Ianis Hagi, son of Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi, has made three appearances this season -- starting just once -- yet still leads his side in shots on target per game (1.7), and will be eager to register his first goal of the campaign if selected on Saturday.
Congolese midfielder Gaius Makouta has been a creative spark, fashioning the most big chances (2) for Alanyaspor so far, and will once again partner Maestro in the heart of midfield.
Genclerbirligi possible starting lineup:
Erenturk; Pereira, Goutas, Thalisson, Hanousek; Ulgun, Zuzek; Mimaroglu, Dele-Bashiru, Gurpuz; Niang
Alanyaspor possible starting lineup:
Taskiran; Akdag, Aliti, Lima; Keskin, Maestro, Makouta, Ozdemir; Kaya, Hwang; Ogundu
We say: Genclerbirligi 1-1 Alanyaspor
Genclerbirligi have shown spirit in recent weeks and their resilience could make them tricky to break down, while Alanyaspor arrive without a win in three, but their dominance against Galatasaray shows they can cause problems if they become more clinical.
With both sides still searching for consistency and struggling to convert chances into victories, this contest feels finely balanced, and a share of the spoils could be the most likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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