Besiktas vs Alanyaspor

When Besiktas hosts Alanyaspor at Tupras Stadyumu on Saturday, they want to bounce back from a humiliating loss to Adana Demirspor in their most recent Turkish Super Lig match.

After Tayyip Talha Sanuc was sent off in the 76th minute, the Black Eagles ended the game with 10 men after giving up two goals in the first half and only managing one goal in the second.

With a rare and significant win over Fenerbahce, Besiktas raised expectations that they could have finally moved past the chaos that resulted in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's firing on November 30.

But since then, the Black Eagles have lost to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and then to bottom-place Adana Demirspor in the Super Lig, both of which were humiliating.

After three Super Lig games under interim manager Serdar Topraktepe—a victory, a draw, and a loss—Besiktas is now sixth in the standings, one point behind fourth-place Eyupspor, who have played one more game.

Besiktas will go into Saturday's match with a confident attitude after winning their most recent home game; fortunately, they have a good home record against Alanyaspor, winning seven of eight meetings.

However, the Black Eagles failed to win against the visitors last season due to a 3-1 home loss, which was their first in the history of this match, and a 1-1 away tie in the return leg. There will be worries that their present performance could result in a recurrence of this.

Sami Ugurlu took over as manager of Alanyaspor last month when Fatih Tekke resigned, same like their rivals.Alanyaspor has won four of their six games under the new manager in all competitions, including two of their previous four Super Lig games, demonstrating that the appointment was a brilliant move.

After losing to Kayserispor, Ugurlu's team recovered with a resounding 3-0 victory against Gaziantep in their most recent league match. On Tuesday, they defeated second-tier Amed SK 3-2 in the Turkish Cup fifth round.

Alanyaspor are making steady progress away from the relegation zone, climbing to 14th place with a slim two-point cushion above the danger line. While their recent performances have provided a much-needed boost, maintaining that momentum is key—especially against a Besiktas side that might seem vulnerable. That said, Alanyaspor's away record leaves room for improvement, with only five points earned from seven games on the road and no wins in their last four attempts (two draws and two losses).

Besiktas, on the other hand, are dealing with some notable absences. Gabriel Paulista is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Talha Sanuc will miss the match due to suspension after a red card in his previous outing. Adding to their woes, midfielder Necip Uysal is nursing a ligament injury that will keep him out until next month, and Milot Rashica is also unavailable due to an ankle issue.

For Alanyaspor, defensive troubles persist as Furkan Bayir remains out with an ankle injury, also expected to sideline him until next month.

However, there’s good news for Alanyaspor in the form of Hwang Ui-jo. After coming off the bench to score a brilliant brace against Gaziantep, he could be rewarded with a starting role, potentially partnering Sergio Cordova up front. This attacking duo might just hold the key to securing a vital result in this challenging away fixture.