Kayserispor 0 - 3 FT Başakşehir

Başakşehir turn the screw in Kayseri: penalty platform and a super-sub finish

Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 46/100. At Kadir Has Stadium, Başakşehir’s 3-0 away win underlined the gulf between a side eyeing Europe and a Kayserispor team drifting deeper into a survival battle.

Opening Act: Penalty swings the early balance

The pattern emerged quickly in Kayseri. Kayserispor leaned on set-pieces, racking up corners and trying to turn the box into a melee, but with only two shots on target their threat never truly matched the noise. Başakşehir edged the ball with 54% and used that slight control of possession to stretch the home block, picking their moments rather than rushing attacks. The key break came on 35 minutes: contact in the area, the referee pointed to the spot, and D. Selke buried the penalty with minimal fuss. That strike tilted the early Balance firmly towards the visitors and matched the xG trend, which already favoured the Istanbul side. For a Kayserispor team on a poor run, chasing a deficit against a technically cleaner opponent immediately raised the Stakes and tightened the atmosphere in the stands.

The Pivot: Civelek’s own goal kills the contest

Kayserispor came out after the interval more aggressive, line pushed higher, tackles snapping in, and the Intensity rose with it. But that ambition opened space. Başakşehir, already more precise in possession, started reaching the box at will, with the majority of their ten efforts from inside the area. The decisive moment arrived on 67 minutes. A cross from the right wasn’t properly cleared, and in the scramble R. Civelek sliced the ball past his own goalkeeper. At 2-0, with Kayserispor’s xG still negligible, the match’s competitive Balance was essentially gone. The home side’s earlier corner pressure now looked like desperation rather than plan, while Başakşehir could sit in, foul when needed, and spring forward on the break, fully in command of the scoreboard and the emotional tone.

Resolution: Super-sub Nuno Da Costa applies the seal

The closing stretch belonged to the bench. Introduced on 69 minutes, N. Da Costa injected fresh legs and vertical runs, lifting Başakşehir’s attacking Intensity again just as Kayserispor’s belief ebbed away. His timing in behind forced the home defence to retreat, and the visitors’ front line suddenly had more room between the lines. On 86 minutes, the super-sub made it count: E. Shomurodov slid a clever pass through, Da Costa ghosted beyond the back line and finished calmly for 3-0. It was a ruthless, low-drama way to close a professional away performance. For Kayserispor, Civelek’s unfortunate own goal and a chronic lack of cutting edge deepen concern near the bottom. For Başakşehir, this was an Upset Factor-free, businesslike win that keeps their European ambitions on track.

Kayseri under pressure, Başakşehir eye the climb

Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 56/100. This is a pressure test for struggling Kayserispor and a clear opening for Başakşehir to tighten their grip on the upper-mid pack in the Süper Lig Balance.

The Setup

Kayserispor come into January 24 in 16th place on 15 points, with just two league wins and a worrying goal difference of -17; their home record is even more alarming.

One win from eight at Kadir Has Stadium tells the story: this is a side short on confidence, leaning heavily on keeper Bilal Bayazit, whose last four games – 16 saves, two clean sheets, 7.9 average rating – have prevented deeper trouble.

Başakşehir, by contrast, arrive in 6th with 26 points, a 29-19 goal record and a WWWDW run that screams control rather than chaos. Their Form is trending upwards, their Balance between attack and defence one of the league's most stable.

Futmetrix gives the visitors well over a 50% chance of victory and makes Kayserispor a clear underdog at around 22%. Yet the Stakes are quietly significant: Başakşehir can tighten their push for European places, while Kayserispor badly need a statement result to reset their season trajectory.

In midfield, A. Fayzullaev and A. Harit provide the creative angles for Başakşehir, feeding a front line spearheaded by the ruthless E. Shomurodov, whose movement constantly destabilises back fours.

Key Battle

The defining duel is set: Bilal Bayazit versus Eldor Shomurodov. Bayazit is in shot-stopping overdrive, disguising Kayserispor's defensive fragility with big saves and commanding positioning inside his box.

Shomurodov arrives as the headline Stars name: four goals and two assists in his last four matches, averaging 7.9. His penalty-box timing and diagonal runs force defenders to turn, opening lanes for teammates as much as for himself.

If Bayazit wins this contest, Kayserispor stay alive and can counter. If Shomurodov keeps his hot streak, Başakşehir's win probability will look conservative in hindsight.

Our Prediction

Expect Kayserispor to sit deeper early, trying to compress space and ride Bayazit's form, while Başakşehir circulate the ball, probing patiently rather than chasing an early knockout.

As legs tire, Başakşehir's superior technical level in midfield and Shomurodov's sharpness in the box should tilt the game. Kayserispor can threaten in broken play, but sustained pressure usually tells.

Prediction: Kayserispor 1-2 Başakşehir, with Shomurodov on the scoresheet and Bayazit preventing the margin from becoming heavier.