Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor - prediction, team news, lineups

Still licking their wounds from their Champions League opening-day decision against Sporting Lisbon, Galatasaray instrumentality to enactment successful the Turkish Super Lig erstwhile they play big to Kocaelispor connected Sunday.

It has been a superb commencement to the run for Kocaelispor, who find themselves conscionable 1 constituent down the hosts astatine the apical of the league table, and having avoided decision successful some location and distant meetings betwixt the 2 teams past season, they volition beryllium backing themselves to travel distant with thing astatine the Rams Park.

Match preview

Galatasaray saw their winless tally successful the UEFA Champions League stretched to 5 matches connected Wednesday erstwhile they fell to a 3-1 decision against Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon successful their 2026-27 curtain-raiser astatine the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Despite seeing implicit 60% of the shot possession and being successful the ascendancy for astir of the game, the Aslanlar saw their pb gaffe distant successful Lisbon, with Geny Catamo, Luis Javier Suarez and Rodrigo Zalazar each hitting the people to cancel retired Goncalo Inacio’s aboriginal ain extremity and manus Sporting each 3 points.

While their struggles connected the continental country persist, Galatasaray instrumentality to the Super Lig, wherever they person flown retired of the blocks this season, claiming a 3-2 triumph implicit Istanbul Basaksehir past Friday to marque it 3 league victories connected the bounce.

Having kicked disconnected the caller league run with a somewhat disappointing 2-2 stalemate against newly-promoted Corum connected August 14, Okan Buruk’s men person present picked up consecutive victories implicit Erzurumspor, Goztepe and Basaksehir to determination 1 constituent wide astatine the apical of the Super Lig standings.

While Galatasaray volition look to rapidly bounce backmost successful the league, lasting successful their mode is the situation of an opposing broadside they person failed to get the amended of successful their astir caller 3 attempts, including 1 nonaccomplishment and 1 decision successful their 2 league meetings past season.

Over successful Izmit, Kocaelispor maintained their beardown early-season signifier past Sunday arsenic they held their ain to spot retired a 1-0 triumph implicit a wasteful Samsunspor broadside astatine the Yildiz Entegre Kocaeli Stadium.

Making his 2nd quality since joining from Swiss outfit Servette successful the summertime window, Florian Aye grabbed the headlines, with the French striker netting successful the 26th infinitesimal to denote himself successful beforehand of the location supporters.

Since stumbling into the caller play with a 2-0 decision against Istanbul Basaksehir successful August’s play opener, Kocaelispor person bounced backmost with 3 consecutive victories, seeing disconnected Amed, Konyaspor and Samsunspor, portion scoring 5 goals and keeping 2 cleanable sheets.

Despite failing to triumph their last 9 Super Lig games past season, it was a memorable run for Selcuk Inan’s men, who finished 10th successful the league standings connected their instrumentality to the apical formation since going down successful 2009.

While Kocaelispor volition beryllium aiming to support their beardown early-season signifier and crook it into a level for continued home success, adjacent up is the stern situation of a Galatasaray side, who are unbeaten astatine location successful the Super Lig successful implicit 2 years, stretching backmost to a 1-0 nonaccomplishment against Fenerbahce successful May 2024.

Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:

Galatasaray signifier (all competitions):

Kocaelispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

He is joined connected the club’s wounded array by experienced midfielder Mario Lemina, who was forced disconnected midway done the crippled against Istanbul Basaksehir connected August 4 owed to a musculus problem.

William Singo is besides acceptable to beryllium retired his 3rd consecutive crippled aft sustaining a thigh wounded against Goztepe backmost successful August, portion seasoned goalkeeper Gunay Guvenc has been ruled retired done a musculus problem.

As for Kocaelispor, Aleksandar Jovanovic has been sidelined since January owed to a terrible genu wounded and the Serbian goalkeeper is retired of contention for the travel to Rams Park this weekend.

Bruno Petkovic is besides different semipermanent absentee for the visitors, with the 31-year-old striker sidelined since picking up a hamstring wounded against Galatasaray backmost successful April.

Galatasaray imaginable starting lineup:

Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Sane, Batrakov, Akgun; Yilmaz

Kocaelispor imaginable starting lineup:

Oztasdelen; Dijksteel, Zoukrou, Maglica, Haidara; Show; Agyei, Yildiz, Kutlu, Sousa; Aye

We say: Galatasaray 2-0 Kocaelispor

Kocaelispor tin instrumentality pridefulness successful what has been a coagulated commencement to the caller campaign, but they look their toughest situation yet successful a star-studded Galatasaray side, who volition beryllium looking to marque an contiguous absorption pursuing their UCL defeat.

Galatasaray volition person to header without prima striker Osimhen this weekend, but they inactive boast the prime and firepower needed to get the occupation done, and fixed their dominance astatine Rams Park, we are backing them to travel distant with each 3 points this weekend.

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