Trabzonspor vs Goztepe SK – News and Probable Lineups

This weekend in round 32 of the Turkish Super Lig, Trabzonspor will host Goztepe SK at the Senol Gunes Sports Complex, with both teams eager for a crucial victory.

The Black Sea Storm are in a heated competition with Fenerbahce for a place in the Champions League, while Goztepe is striving for a chance at a Conference League spot. This makes for an exhilarating match ahead.

Match overview

Trabzonspor suffered a disappointing defeat last Sunday, losing 2-1 to Konyaspor at the Medas Konya Buyuksehir Belediyesi Stadium, essentially bringing their title aspirations to a halt.

Turkish full-back Berkan Kutlu netted two goals in the first half, and even after Felipe Augusto responded for Trabzonspor in the 79th minute, Konyaspor managed to withstand late pressure to secure their fourth consecutive win across all competitions.

Since their 2-1 win against Galatasaray on April 4, which moved them within four points of the league leaders, Trabzonspor has been unable to secure a win in their last three outings, including draws with Alanyaspor and Istanbul Basaksehir, followed by the loss to Konyaspor.

This decline in performance has seen Trabzonspor’s hopes of winning their first Super Lig title since the 2021-22 season dwindle, as they find themselves nine points behind leaders Galatasaray with three matches remaining.

Nonetheless, Trabzonspor can still take solace in their season’s performance as they sit nine points ahead of fourth-placed Besiktas and are just two points shy of second-placed Fenerbahce, in the contention for Champions League qualification.

Meanwhile, in Central Anatolia, Goztepe secured a vital 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Antalyaspor last Friday, boosting their chances for European qualification.

Former Southampton player Juan Santos da Silva struck within the first minute to give Goztepe a wonderful start, followed by Arda Kurtulan doubling the advantage in the 22nd minute at the Gursel Aksel Stadium.

This victory was particularly important for Goztepe, who had struggled previously without a win in three matches, managing only two points from a possible nine, and only securing one win from their ten league games since early February.

Stanimir Stoilov’s squad has amassed 51 points over 31 Super Lig matches, placing them sixth in the standings, tied on points with fifth-placed Basaksehir and five points behind fourth-placed Besiktas, who are in contention for Conference League qualifying.

Goztepe aims to achieve consecutive league victories for the first time this year but faces a tough challenge against a side that has been unbeaten in eight of their last ten encounters, with six wins and two draws since June 2020.

Team News

Trabzonspor will be without Edin Visca and Ukrainian defender Arseniy Batagov, who are currently recovering from injuries to their foot and knee, respectively.

Midfielder Okay Yokuslu is likely to miss his third straight match, and veteran defender Stefan Savic remains a significant doubt after missing the recent match against Konyaspor.

Paul Onuachu has struggled to find the net recently, not scoring in five of his last six matches for both club and country, although the Nigerian international currently leads the Super Lig Golden Boot race by two goals and will aim to prove his worth this weekend.

For Goztepe, Turkish players Izzet Malak and 23-year-old defender Erkam Komur will not feature this weekend due to suspensions imposed by the Turkish Football Federation related to a betting scandal.

Additionally, Furkan Bayir has been sidelined since late March, and the 26-year-old defender will also miss out on the trip to the Senol Gunes Sports Complex.

Trabzonspor probable starting XI:

That’s right; Pina, Nwaiwu, Lovik, Eskihellac; Jabol-Folcarelli, Storm; Zubkov, Augustus, Standing; Onuachu

Goztepe SK probable starting XI:

Lis; Bokole, Heliton, Godi; Cherni, Miroshi, Dennis, Survivor; Bekiroglu, Santos, Janderson

While Goztepe will look to build on their win against Antalyaspor and edge closer to the European qualification spots, they have not triumphed in their last four outings at the Senol Gunes Sports Complex and are set for another challenging match against a Trabzonspor side keen to halt their poor form.

Tekke’s team has been exceptionally strong at home this season, and considering the quality gap between the two squads, they are expected to get back to winning ways, although possibly by a narrow margin.