- Recent meetings: Rizespor have won 2 of the last 3 meetings between the sides, with the other ending tied.
- Player form: Ali Sowe has scored 2 goals in his last 5 appearances for Rizespor.
- Away scoring: Samsunspor average just 1.0 goal per game away to Rizespor in the Super Lig.
A good fixture for Rizespor
Form and structure
Çaykur Rizespor enter Saturday's Super Lig clash with Samsunspor in good shape, having secured back-to-back wins against Pyramids FC (2-1) and Konyaspor (1-0) during the week. Recep Uçar has his side playing with a good structure and discipline in all areas of the field and they are more than just a one-man team, although the form of Ali Sowe is particularly noteworthy right now, with the 27-year-old Gambian having bagged 2 goals in the last 5 games.
Key players
Qazim Laci has also opened his Super Lig account with a goal in 1 appearance for the hosts, and provides a spark in the middle third when needed.
Samsunspor should try to push the pace
Thorsten Fink has brought a high-tempo game to Samsunspor this season and the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation has already brought some interesting patterns to the pitch. The Kırmızı Şimşekler are extremely aggressive in counter-pressing and they like to overload the wings in their attacks, but they've been caught out by clubs that are very structured and able to capitalize on the counter-attack – just like Rizespor.
Samsunspor's 6-1-3 record across all competitions is a little better than Rizespor's 5-2-3, but there are signs that they will need to be at their best to come away with any points from this one.
Rizespor can take the regional bragging rights
Key factors
This could be a close game, but Rizespor's recent form, home advantage and dominance in the H2H record gives them the edge here and the draw-no-bet option makes sense.
There are plenty of bragging rights on the line as well with both clubs based around the Black Sea, and we think Rizespor are the most likely winner, even if there won't be much between them.
- Samsunspor's away record across all competitions is 3-1-3.
- However, Rizespor are 4-1-1 on their own patch and have been a tough team to break down in front of their own fans.
- The odds are also against the draw and slightly favouring the hosts at 2.3, while the visitors are 2.98 and the tie is 3.82.
