Trabzonspor take on the visitors Antalyaspor in the round 1 match of Turkish Super Lig. The match will be played on Friday, August 11th at Akyazi Stadyumu (Trabzon).
The 2020-2021 season was triumphant for Trabzonspor, ending with a sensational championship win. However, just a year later, the team finished only sixth in the Turkish Super Lig. In the opening round of the new season, a typical mid-table team of the country's championship will visit the maroon and blue side. It's logical that the hosts are considered favorites in such a match. Trabzonspor had a solid final phase of preparation for the Turkish championship, securing three wins in their last four matches. At the end of July, they triumphed over Rabotnički (4-1) and Triglav (4-0), and in August, they trained against FC Trabzonspor (5-0).
Antalyaspor finished only 13th in the championship table in the past season and fought for survival in the league until the last round. The team managed to stay ahead of Girasunspor by just one point, who found themselves in the relegation play-off zone. The final part of their preparation for the new season wasn't satisfactory for the management: in two out of their last four friendly matches, the Scorpions suffered defeats against Hatayspor (1-2) and Sivasspor (0-2). Most likely, they will also lose in the first round of the championship. After all, they have to travel to face a very strong opponent. Away matches are the team's weakest point.
In the previous season, Antalyaspor were one of the worst teams in the league in terms of away game statistics. They lost in more than half of their matches on opponents' fields during the championship. On the contrary, Trabzonspor became one of the best teams in the Super Lig in terms of home games - they celebrated victory in 12 out of 18 such matches. In two out of the last three head-to-head encounters with this opponent at their own field, the favorite came out on top. This includes the recent one during the last season's championship (2-0). At the start of the championship, bookmakers often provide decent odds for clear favorites in matches. This is why I suggest taking advantage of this by placing a straightforward bet on Home Win.
Prediction for the match: Trabzonspor to win.
