Galatasaray vs Kayserispor Prediction: Gala's Flimsy Defense To See The Anatolian Star Get On The Scoreboard

Galatasaray will aim to put behind them their Turkish Cup wobble, which saw them knocked out in the quarter-finals by Istanbul Basaksehir as they prepare to host Kayserispor at the NEF Stadyumu in the Super Lig's 29th round and preserve their advantage at the summit.

Will Galatasaray be able to secure all three points, or will they suffer another unexpected home defeat?

Let's have a look at the latest Turkish Super Lig predictions between Galatasaray vs Kayserispor, team news, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Galatasaray

Form: WLWWW

Another major blunder this season saw Gala eliminated from the Turkish Cup quarter-finals, owing to a flimsy defense that saw them lose 3:2 to underdogs Istanbul Basaksehir in front of their fans at the NEF Stadyumu.

In their previous 60th iteration of the Turkish Cup, they were eliminated from the competition at home in the fifth round by Denizlispor after being tied 3:3 on aggregate to lose 6:5 on penalties, which was justifiable given their dismal form at the time. 

This season in the Turkish Cup, they won all five of their games before losing to Istanbul Basaksehir, which cannot even remotely be excused given that it is the third time since they won the renowned competition in the 2018–19 season that they have let the silverware slip their grasp.

Prior to that, Gala produced the rebound their manager Okan Buruk was looking for, and though it wasn't a great one, it eventually saw them win 2:0 against Adana Demirspor at home after being shocked by Konyaspor on the road before the international break, succumbing to a narrow 2:1 defeat.

They have kept a five-point lead over Fenerbahce in second place, as they currently hold first place with 63 points.

Team News

Galatasaray will be without Yusuf Demir, who is injured, and will be joined on the injury list by Abdülkerim Bardakci (calf strain), who is doubtful to take part in this match.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-5-1

Muslera; Boey, Ayhan, Nelsson, Karatas; Midtsjo, Torreira, Zaniolo, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi

Kayserispor

Form: WWWLL

The Anatolian Star's hopes of winning their second Turkey Cup title were dashed in the quarter-finals by a confident Fenerbahce, who eliminated them with a 4:1 defeat away from home.

But that didn't stop Çağdaş Atan's men from claiming a comfortable 3:1 win against Umraniyespor in the Super Lig to extend their winning streak to three matches. This comes after a two-match losing streak against Fenerbahce (1:2) and Antalyaspor (4:0), which ended their three-match winning streak.

At the start of the season, it seemed almost certain that the Anatolian Star would have a poor away record after recording three consecutive losses without scoring a single goal, but that hasn't been the case as they've been an average side on the road, recording six losses, six wins, and a draw in 13 games, and will be looking to improve their form as the season progresses.

They are now in seventh place with 44 points, level on points with Trabzonspor in sixth, and four points behind a fourth-place finish.

Team News

Kayserispor will be without Lionel Carole and Nurettin Korkmaz (cruciate ligament) for this match. Aside from that, gaffer Çağdaş Atan's has no fitness issues because he has a full bill of healthy players to choose from.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-5-1

Bayazit, Uzodimma, Hosseini, Kolovetsios, Sazdagi; Kemen, Mensah, Bassan, Cardoso, Thiem; Mane

Match Facts

• Galatasaray has won nine consecutive home games.
• Galatasaray are winless in the last three games against Kayserispor.
• Kayserispor has not won any five of its away games against Galatasaray.
• When playing at home, Galatasaray averages 2 goals per game, whereas Kayserispor averages 1.62 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Galatasaray has won 28 of the last 44 matches, Kayserispor has won four, and there have been 12 draws, with a goal difference of 95 to 34 in favor of Galatasaray. 

Expert Betting Tips

Galatasaray has switched into a mode where every game they play is viewed as a final. Since they were unsuccessful in winning the Turkish Cup, their ambitions now rest only on winning the league championship, which will be the only accomplishment for them to be proud of at the end of the season.

Kayserispor has been playing to the required standards when playing away, though their away form may not be as impressive as their hosts' home form. They'll try to avoid defeat against a team that they haven't managed to beat in their last five away games, which could prove to be a difficult task.

If a subpar performance isn't the issue, then a flimsy defense is, and Gala will need to focus on that going forward because it could stymie their progress in the standings. They have also preserved one clean sheet while conceding in seven against Kayserispor in their last eight meetings; therefore, we anticipate the same pattern will be seen tonight, with both teams getting on the scoreboard.

• Both Teams To Score - Yes for 1.72
• Handicap 1 (-1.5) for 1.78
• Player To Score A Goal At Anytime - Mauro Icardi for 1.70