Hatayspor VS Besiktas

After opting out of league competition last season, Hatayspor had a strong start to the 2023-24 campaign, going unbeaten in the first eight matches with three wins and five draws. However, following the October international break, their fortunes took a downturn, with only one win in the last eight games, along with two draws and five losses.In their most recent outing, Hatayspor played to a goalless draw against Ankaragucu, marking their fourth consecutive league match without a win and the second consecutive match without finding the back of the net.Despite the recent dip in form, Volkan Demirel's team has maintained a solid record at Mersin Stadyumu, losing only once in seven home games this season. Their scoring performance has been notable, with two or more goals in five of their last six matches.Although Hatayspor has never finished above Besiktas in the Super Lig standings, they boast a favorable record against the Black Eagles. They are unbeaten in their last three encounters, including a 2-1 victory in the previous season.

Besiktas has faced numerous challenges both on and off the pitch this season, finding themselves significantly behind in the race and trailing by 17 points behind league leaders Fenerbahce and Galatasaray before the halfway mark of the campaign.In their latest outing, Besiktas suffered a 3-1 defeat to Alanyaspor, marking their sixth loss in the top flight. This total already surpasses the number of losses they incurred throughout the entire last season (4). It was also their third defeat in their last five matches across all competitions.Besiktas' lone victory since the beginning of December came against Lugano in the Conference League, but it was in a match with no bearing on their progression in the competition, as they were already eliminated heading into the final group stage match.Following the defeat to Alanyaspor, Riza Calimbay was relieved of his duties as head coach after only a month in charge and a total of seven matches. Rumors are circulating about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer potentially being his replacement.Besiktas is in dire need of a positive result to uplift the team's spirits. However, Hatay will be highly motivated for the match and likely views this as an opportune moment to face the 2020-21 champions.