Galatasaray vs Kasımpaşa – News and Probable Lineups

Galatasaray will aim to bounce back from their significant loss at Trabzonspor when they take on Kasimpasa in the Super Lig at RAMS Park on Friday.

Currently sitting second with 13 points after six matches, the reigning champions will face an unbeaten Kasimpasa, who occupies the eighth position with 10 points.

Match overview

Starting their title defence with a 2-2 stalemate against Corum, Galatasaray subsequently secured four victories in the following five league games, triumphing over Erzurumspor, Goztepe, Istanbul Basaksehir, and Kocaelispor.

However, their impressive sequence came to an end recently, as Okan Buruk’s squad fell 4-0 to Trabzonspor, marking their first defeat of the season and leaving them tied on points with Amed, but trailing in goal difference.

This loss highlighted a defensive vulnerability that has appeared more frequently this season than normally anticipated from champions, with Galatasaray having conceded 10 goals within their initial six league fixtures.

Despite this, they have netted 13 times, with four of those goals coming during the 4-0 win over Erzurumspor, and three goals each in consecutive wins against Goztepe and Basaksehir.

The scoring trend continued during the international break, as they played a thrilling 3-3 draw against Pendikspor in a friendly that allowed several players to gain valuable minutes while the league campaign was paused.

Needing a strong reaction after their heavy loss to Trabzonspor, the champions will strive to prevent back-to-back losses in this matchup, having suffered a 1-0 defeat against their upcoming opponents in their last encounter, which ended a seven-match unbeaten run in this fixture (W5, D2).

Nevertheless, Kasimpasa promises to be a challenging opponent, having quietly developed one of the more reliable defensive records early in the season, with Kocaelispor (four) being the only team to concede fewer goals than them in the Super Lig this year.

The Apaches remain unbeaten through six fixtures, with two victories and four draws, having scored seven goals, and their most recent league match concluded in a goalless draw against Konyaspor just before the break.

That result added to a stretch where Kasimpasa had drawn with Istanbul Basaksehir and Amed Sportif, alongside away wins against Corum and Genclerbirligi.

Emre Belozoglu’s men maintained their positive momentum during the break, earning a 2-1 win against Fatih Karagumruk in a friendly.

Recently, the visitors have been competitive against Galatasaray, winning one and losing one of their last four clashes, with the other two concluding in draws.

However, they have encountered difficulties in their last four visits to RAMS Park, with their latest trip resulting in a 3-0 defeat to Galatasaray.

Team News

Galatasaray’s injury status has improved through the international break, albeit several players are still being evaluated.

Mario Lemina has completed his rehabilitation and returned to full team training, while Roland Sallai and Wilfried Singo continue to train separately, making them doubtful for Friday’s match.

The absence of Victor Osimhen is notable as he has resumed partial team training following his muscle injury, though club physician Yener Ince indicated on Wednesday that they do not wish to risk the striker too soon and will evaluate based on the findings from his latest assessments.

Lesley Ugochukwu is suspended for two matches, and goalkeeper Gunay Guvenc is also on the road to recovery from injury.

On the other hand, Kasimpasa will miss Kamil Corekci due to an Achilles tendon injury, while Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Haris Hajradinovic are also confirmed injured.

Adrian Benedyczak is another confirmed absentee after sustaining a wrist fracture, limiting the visitors’ attacking options.

Galatasaray probable starting XI:

Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardacci, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Sane, Akgun, Leao; Gul

Kasimpasa probable starting XI:

Gianniotis; Winck, Mouanga, Ilie, Jessen; Da Silva, Demirbay; Yalcin, Rafferty, Kol; Diarra

Considering Kasimpasa’s unbeaten start and solid defensive record, this match is likely to pose a greater challenge for Galatasaray than their league standings might indicate. Nevertheless, the champions have the advantage of playing at home and significantly greater attacking options, which they could leverage to secure a narrow victory.