Preview: Kasimpasa vs. Fatih Karagumruk

Sports Mole previews Friday's Turkish Super Lig clash between Kasimpasa and Fatih Karagumruk, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Round 26 of the Turkish Super Lig kicks off with Kasimpasa hosting Fatih Karagumruk at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.

The hosts are looking to make it four league wins in a row to increase their chances of breaking into the top four, while the visitors are hoping for a positive result to improve their chances of survival.

Match preview

Kasimpasa's fine form continued as they picked up a 3-1 victory over Adana Demirspor at the New Adana Stadium on Friday evening to further fuel their European aspirations.

Goals from Mamadou Fall, Aytac Kara and Haris Hajradinovic put the Apaches in a comfortable position before the hour mark before Mario Balotelli pulled one back for Adana.

After a promising start to the season, Kasimpasa looked like genuine contenders for European football, but a poor run that lasted from November to mid-January saw them fall off.

However, four wins from their last five league matches have now propelled them back into contention, as they currently sit in fifth place with 38 points from 25 matches, just two points behind fourth-placed Besiktas.

Next up is a home match against Fatih Karagumruk, an opposition they beat earlier this season away from home.

They also have a dominant home record against Friday's opposition, losing just twice while recording 14 wins with five draws when hosting this fixture.

Fatih Karagumruk bounced back from defeat against Hatayspor to record a 2-0 win over Pendikspor in their last league outing at the Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium.

Emre Mor gave the Black Reds the lead just after the half-hour mark before Guven Yalcin doubled the lead in the second half.

The victory saw Shota Arveladze's men leave the relegation zone, sitting 16th with 27 points, level on points with 17th-placed Gaziantep but with a better goal difference.

Next up, they face Kasimpasa, a team they have beaten three times in their last five league meetings, scoring three goals in each of those victories.

However, the Black Reds have been abysmal on the road, losing their last seven away games in the Super Lig while picking up just five points from a possible 36 on their trips.

Kasimpasa Turkish Super Lig form:

Kasimpasa form (all competitions):

Fatih Karagumruk Turkish Super Lig form:

Fatih Karagumruk form (all competitions):

Team News

Kasimpasa will be without left-back Mortadha Ben Ouanes, who will serve a one-man suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

Turkish midfielder Erdem Cetinkaya is currently recovering from a thigh problem, while Samuel Bastien has been ruled out since October due to a severe injury.

Dries Saddiki has missed Kasimpasa's last 11 matches since sustaining a muscle injury in December and is set to miss Friday's clash.

Ahead of Friday's clash, the hosts boast a fully fit squad, offering Arveladze a wealth of options for selection.

Yalcin is expected to lead the attack once again after scoring his fifth league goal last time out, while Valentin Eysseric plays in the supporting role.

Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:

Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Biraschi, Dursun, Sangare, Mercan; Bertolacci, Rohden; Keles, Eysseric, Mor; Yalcin

We say: Kasimpasa 2-1 Fatih Karagumruk

Karagumruk are poor on the road, which makes this a straightforward prediction given how well Kasimpasa are playing right now. The hosts have rediscovered the form that put them in European conversations in the first half of the season.