Kayserispor put four past Istanbulspor at Kadir Has Stadium on Monday evening in the seventh round of the First League. The result leaves the hosts top of the table with 16 points after seven games, while Istanbulspor sit 19th on just two points. The match finished 4-0 to the home side, a scoreline that reflected the gulf between two sides with very different fortunes this season.
And here's the thing about the opening minutes — two VAR checks came within moments of each other. Yusuf Ozer had a goal cancelled in the 23rd minute, then Semih Güler saw another disallowed in the 31st. Taulant Seferi finally broke the deadlock in the 25th, but the back-and-forth nature of those early decisions set the tone for a game where Kayserispor would control the tempo.
Daniel Moreno struck twice in the first half, adding his name to the scoresheet in the 34th and 44th minutes. By then Kayserispor had already established their grip on proceedings, and Moreno's brace before half-time meant Istanbulspor had no room to breathe. The visitors managed just one shot on target throughout the entire match.
Seferi completed his brace in the 83rd minute, but the damage had long been done. Kayserispor made several changes in the second half, bringing on Alieu Cham, Ömer Faruk Duymaz and Görkem Sağlam among others. To be fair, the visitors rarely threatened — they registered only four shots from outside the penalty area all game.
The statistics tell the full story. Kayserispor enjoyed 67 per cent possession and created 105 attacks compared to Istanbulspor's 39. The hosts registered 13 shots inside the penalty area and 6 outside, while the visitors managed none from within the box. Shots accuracy was 32 per cent for Kayserispor and just 25 per cent for the away side.
Our prediction of a home win at 92 per cent confidence has come through, and the result does little to surprise given the trajectory of both sides. Kayserispor have won five of seven, including a 3-0 victory over Erogsport last weekend. Istanbulspor, meanwhile, have lost five of seven and are staring at the drop.