The Turkish Super Lig is back with another round of action this week as we get ready for some fascinating fixtures. As we continue through the second half of the campaign, more and more clubs are getting a clearer picture of what their true objectives are in the months ahead. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be an intriguing clash between Gaziantep and Istanbul Basaksehir.
Gaziantep Form GuideFollowing the devastating impact of the Turkey-Syria earthquake, Gazisehir Gaziantep have had to deal with a lot of adversity. Now, to kickstart 2024, they’re hoping to push forward in a brighter direction. They haven’t been overly consistent up to this point but they certainly still have a lot of fire in them, and they’ll be scratching and clawing to keep their place in the top flight.
After taking the lead in the 83rd minute, Gaziantep probably thought they’d be able to make their way through to a comfortable three points. Alas, courtesy of a 92nd minute equaliser, they’ll forever wonder what could’ve been in a 1-1 draw.
Istanbul Basaksehir Form GuideDespite only being founded back in 1990, Istanbul Basaksehir have been able to make a real splash over the last few decades - and especially in the last couple of years. It was only back in 2019/20 that they won the Super Lig for the first time in their history, and since then, they’ve reached the final of the Turkish Cup and have really established themselves as one of the top dogs.
Sometimes, you have to put your best foot forward and just go for it - which is exactly what Kayserispor did in their visit to take on Istanbul Basaksehir. The two went toe to toe and exchanged some real blows, with Kayserispor coming away with a huge 3-2 win.
Match PredictionDespite being quite far apart in the table, Gaziantep and Basaksehir are both teams that have the threat of a relegation battle looming large. As such, we think they’re both going to have a bit of a point to prove in this game, leading us to believe that over 2.5 goals will be scored.