BB Erzurumspor vs. Samsunspor – News and Probable Lineups

Samsunspor will be looking to end their streak of three consecutive losses when they face Erzurumspor in the sixth round of the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

Having not secured a victory in the past six meetings between these two sides, Serkan Ozbalta’s team will be eager to finally triumph over the visitors and aim for back-to-back wins at Kazim Karabekir Stadium.

Match overview

Just a week after achieving their first win of the season, Erzurumspor faced a setback last Friday, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Besiktas.

Besiktas delivered a strong performance to comfortably defeat Erzurumspor at Tupras Stadium, with Emirhan Topcu and Leandro Trossard finding the net in the first half, followed by an own goal from Yakup Kirtay in the 81st minute to seal the visitors’ fate.

Prior to this outing, Erzurumspor experienced a difficult start to the campaign, earning only one point from their initial three matches, losing twice and managing a draw, before a first-half goal from Eren Tozlun led them to a narrow 1-0 victory against Konyaspor at Kazim Karabekir Stadium on September 5.

Having won the 1. Lig title last season to secure promotion, Ozbalta’s side has struggled to find their footing in the top division, primarily due to their insufficient attacking capabilities.

With last weekend’s defeat, Erzurumspor has now gone three matches without scoring this season and has the joint-lowest goal tally, having registered just two goals in their five fixtures thus far.

Similarly, Samsunspor has been grappling with results this season, suffering a 5-1 defeat against Corum last Saturday at the Samsun Yeni 19 Mayis Stadium, which added to a series of disappointing performances.

Both Jesus Ramirez and Logi Thomasson scored within the first five minutes, but a double from Cengiz Under gave the visitors a commanding lead by halftime. Alexandros Kyziridis scored in the 69th minute, followed by Ramirez netting again to cap off a remarkable attacking display.

After earning four points from their first two matches, including a 3-3 draw against Goztepe on August 17 and a 2-1 win over Caykur Rizespor on August 22, Samsunspor has now faced three consecutive losses against Fenerbahce, Kocaelispor, and Corum.

After finishing last season strong with five victories in their last six matches, Thorsten Fink’s team has been unable to carry that momentum into this season, as the Red Lightning sit 15th in the Super Lig, equal on points with 16th-placed Erzurumspor.

Now looking to turn their form around this weekend, Samsunspor can take confidence from their recent record against Erzurumspor, having remained unbeaten in their last six encounters with three wins and three draws since September 2017.

Team News

Unless there are any last-minute fitness issues, Erzurumspor will enter this weekend’s clash in good health and free from suspensions, providing Ozbalta with a full squad to choose from.

The veteran striker Tozlu, who has scored both goals for Erzurumspor this season, is expected to lead the attack again, alongside a consistent back five of Amar Gerxhaliu, Mustafa Yumlu, Nihad Mujakic, Orhan Ovacikli, and Geórgian full-back Guram Giorbelidze.

On the other hand, Samsunspor will be missing several key players through injury, including midfielders Afonso Sousa, Tanguy Coulibaly, and Jaures Assoumou, who are all sidelined.

Fatih Kaya has missed the last two fixtures following an injury sustained against Fenerbahce on August 30 and will not be part of the traveling squad, while Elayis Taxn is also out due to a muscle issue.

BB Erzurumspor probable starting XI:

Taskiran; Gerxhaliu, Yumlu, Mujakic, Ovacikli, Giorbelidze; Cardoso, Owusu, Baiye, Rodriguez; Tozlu

Samsunspor probable starting XI:

Whisker; Mendes, Erakovic, Guarino, Tomasson; Yuksel, Honor; George, Cain, Clinch; Mouandilmadji

Both Erzurumspor and Samsunspor have experienced a rocky start to the new season and will be eager to start turning their fortunes around this weekend, making this match an intriguing fixture at Kazim Karabekir Stadium.

However, Samsunspor appears to have the edge with a more experienced lineup on paper, and considering Erzurumspor’s scoring difficulties, they are likely to secure a narrow victory.