Preview: Ankaragucu vs. Adana Demirspor
Ankaragucu welcome Adana Demirspor to the Eryaman Stadium on Wednesday evening as the Turkish Super Lig season draws to a close.
Having enjoyed an impressive campaign, the visitors are guaranteed to finish fourth, while the hosts could finish anywhere between 10th and 14th.
After gaining promotion as second-tier champions last year, Ankaragucu’s main aim would have been to avoid relegation this season, and the club from the capital have achieved their target.
Sitting five points clear of the drop zone with one match remaining, Tolunay Kafkas’s side are already planning for another top-flight campaign, having recorded 12 wins, six draws and 17 losses this term.
It is also worth noting that Ankaragucu made it all the way to the Turkish Cup semi-finals this season, suffering an agonising extra-time defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir last month, despite a valiant effort in the second leg.
Ankaragucu head into the final match of the season on the back of a 1-0 victory at Kayserispor, meaning that Kafkas’s men have won two of their previous three Super Lig encounters.
Having lost just two of their last eight league outings – picking up four wins and two draws in the process – Ankaragucu will be hopeful of ending the campaign on a positive note, although they are winless in four games at the Eryaman Stadium.
Preview: Ankaragucu vs. Adana Demirspor – prediction, team news, lineups
Adana Demirspor can count themselves unfortunate to have missed out on a European place this season, as they have lost only seven of their 35 league encounters, notching 19 wins and nine draws along the way.
Still, the Blue Lightnings find themselves seven points clear of fifth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir, so they should be pleased with their overall efforts across the course of the campaign.
Despite racking up 25 shots while enjoying the lion’s share of possession last time out, Adana Demirspor suffered a last-gasp 3-2 defeat against Basaksehir, with Philippe Keny completing his brace in the 86th minute.
As a result, Vincenzo Montella’s men have lost two of their previous three outings, with a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Besiktas preceding Saturday’s defeat.
When you look at the bigger picture, however, Adana Demirspor have won nine of their last 13 league encounters, including three successive away victories, so they will be confident of notching another positive result on the final day.
Ankaragucu Turkish Super Lig form:
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Ankaragucu form (all competitions):
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Adana Demirspor Turkish Super Lig form:
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We say: Ankaragucu 1-3 Adana Demirspor
Given the 24-point gulf between these two sides, we expect Adana Demirspor to sign off with a comfortable victory over Ankaragucu, who have failed to win any of their last four matches on home soil.