Istanbul vs Samsunspor – News and Probable Lineups

Istanbul Basaksehir will look to bounce back to winning form as they host Samsunspor at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium this Sunday in the Turkish Super Lig.

The home team currently sits in 12th place with 11 points from nine matches, while their opponents find themselves in 17th, struggling with just four points after a dismal start to the season, marked by seven consecutive league losses, putting them under increasing pressure to improve their situation.

Match overview

Basaksehir faced a 2-0 defeat against Besiktas in their previous match, which halted a three-match unbeaten streak that included a 2-1 victory at home over Gaziantep, a scoreless draw with Konyaspor, and an impressive 4-0 triumph against Genclerbirligi.

This result has further extended the poor away form of Nuri Sahin’s squad, who have yet to secure a victory this season on their travels, suffering three defeats and one draw in their four away fixtures, managing only a single goal while conceding nine.

On the other hand, Basaksehir has presented a much more threatening attack when playing at home, achieving all three of their wins at the Fatih Terim Stadium, where they claimed victories against Gaziantep, Genclerbirligi, and Kocaelispor.

Their strong recent record against Samsunspor is also noteworthy, having won the last three encounters without conceding any goals, scoring a total of nine during these matches, and enjoying similar dominance at home where they netted eight times without allowing a goal in their last three matches.

Samsunspor, for their part, is experiencing a tough spell, having suffered defeat in their last seven league matches, with their most recent loss being a 2-1 home defeat to Amed SK.

Their defensive issues are alarming, as they have conceded a total of 18 goals during these defeats, failing to score in half of those matches and managing only a single goal in three.

Newly appointed manager Nenad Bjelica has been in charge for the last two matches but has yet to leave his mark, and he will now aim to break his team’s poor away record, particularly as their sole victory of the season came on the road.

However, Samsunspor has lost their last three away encounters and scored just once in those fixtures, while they have never managed to secure a win at this venue in four top-flight attempts.

Team News

Basaksehir has fitness concerns regarding Jerome Opoku and Christopher Operi, both of whom are dealing with muscle injuries.

This may lead to Ousseynou Ba or Hamza Gureler stepping into the defensive line alongside Emin Bayram, while Saba Kharebashvili and Michal Karbownik are expected to take on the full-back roles.

Andreas Skov Olsen has created four major chances for Basaksehir, the highest in the squad, and he will look to set up opportunities for Eldor Shomurodov, who has found the back of the net seven times.

Samsunspor will be missing Afonso Sousa due to suspension, and Fatih Kaya is also unavailable due to injury.

Yunus Emre Cift could come in for Igor Drapinski, who sustained a knock against Amed last weekend, while Joe Mendes will be monitored before their trip to Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium.

Istanbul Basaksehir probable starting XI:

Sengezer; Karbownik, Bayram, Ba, Kharebashvili; Kemen, Gunes; Olsen, Shomurodov, Brnic; Bozok

Samsunspor probable starting XI:

Kocuk; Tan, Erakovic, Guarino, Tomasson; Kayan, Watt; Coulibaly, Sekongo, Onur; Theirs

Basaksehir’s inconsistency has been evident, but their performances at home present hope against a Samsunspor side that has been leaking goals during their recent losing stretch.

With the visitors facing suspension and injury challenges which further limit their options, the hosts should have sufficient attacking prowess to secure what could be a comfortable victory.