Başakşehir Vs Çaykur Rizespor

Istanbul Basaksehir will aim to bounce back from a derby loss when they face Caykur Rizespor at home on Saturday at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. Their previous encounter earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams scoring in the first half. This result may favor the visitors more than the hosts in this upcoming match.

In their most recent match, Basaksehir fought hard but ultimately lost 2-1 to Galatasaray, the league leaders. This defeat marked their first home loss of the current Turkish Super Lig season, a setback that they will want to quickly recover from. Prior to this, they had been undefeated at home, having won four times and drawn four in their first eight matches at home. Now, they will be keen to prove that the defeat against Galatasaray was just an anomaly and that they remain strong contenders. With 26 points from 18 games, they are currently in fifth place in the league standings, just five points behind the top four. While this gap is not insurmountable, it means the team must find a consistent run of form to make up ground and challenge for a higher position.

Basaksehir has had a strong home record against Rizespor, with eight wins and only two losses in their previous 13 encounters at home. They are also on a seven-match unbeaten streak against Rizespor, which includes five victories. However, one of the major challenges they face heading into this match is the suspension of their star striker, Krzysztof Piatek. The Polish forward has been in exceptional form, leading the league's goal-scoring charts with 13 goals. His absence will be a significant blow for Basaksehir, and it will be crucial for the rest of the team to step up in terms of offensive output in his place.

For Caykur Rizespor, the absence of Piatek presents a golden opportunity to take advantage of the situation. They will arrive at the match with renewed confidence after securing a 2-1 win over Hatayspor in their last outing, which ended a frustrating four-match winless streak. Rachid Ghezzal's penalty in the 63rd minute proved to be the decisive moment in that victory, which came after an exciting first half where both teams scored within the first 23 minutes. This win also marked the end of a three-match losing streak on the road for Rizespor, which will surely boost their morale as they travel to face Basaksehir. One interesting statistic about Rizespor this season is that they have yet to record a draw in any of their away games, making them one of the only two teams in the league, alongside Galatasaray, to avoid draws in away fixtures so far.

Currently sitting in ninth place with 24 points, Rizespor could leapfrog Basaksehir with a win and narrow the gap to the top four, keeping their ambitions for a higher finish alive. This could give them a major boost in their push to secure a top-half finish and remain competitive in the race for European qualification.

This match is crucial for both teams, as Basaksehir looks to return to winning ways and defend their strong home record, while Rizespor will be eager to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Piatek's absence and build on their recent victory. It will be an exciting contest, and both teams will be determined to secure a vital three points.