Eyupspor vs Gaziantep – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday, Eyupspor will host Gaziantep at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu in the second round of the Turkish Super Lig, with both teams eager to secure their first win of the season.

Ozhan Pulat’s side started their campaign with a narrow defeat to Besiktas, whereas their opponents managed a 1-1 draw against Alanyaspor in their first match.

Match overview

Eyupspor faced a 1-0 defeat to Besiktas during the opening weekend, with Vaclav Cerny netting the only goal of the match in the first half.

The score was respectable for Pulat’s team, which played the second half with only 10 players, yet the statistics revealed their struggles to create significant threats against their opponents, managing just a single shot on target from four attempts during the entirety of the fixture.

This offensive ineffectiveness was a significant issue throughout their disappointing 2025-26 season, during which Eyupspor finished in 15th place, gathering 33 points from 34 matches and only scoring 33 goals, with only three teams having fewer goals to their name over the course of the season.

Their performance at home also left much to be desired, as they recorded just five wins, four draws, and eight losses, accumulating only 19 points at their own ground, the lowest total achieved by any team in the league.

Nonetheless, Eyupspor will draw confidence from their recent encounters with Gaziantep, having triumphed in three of the last four competitive matches against them, including both fixtures last year—a 2-1 away victory in November followed by a convincing 3-0 win at home in April.

On the other hand, Gaziantep kicked off their season with a 1-1 stalemate at home against Alanyaspor, where Deian Sorescu equalised after Ruan had put the visitors ahead.

The Falcons enjoyed a higher possession rate and territorial advantage, controlling 61% of the ball and taking 13 attempts at goal compared to Alanyaspor’s 11; however, this dominance did not translate into clear scoring opportunities, recording 1.28 expected goals against 1.25 for their opponents.

Their inability to convert possession into viable chances may prove costly again, particularly considering their poor history at this stadium where they lost both of their earlier visits to Eyupspor, conceding three goals on each occasion without finding the net in their last matchup.

Moreover, their overall away performance last season also leaves room for growth, as they lost eight out of 17 away fixtures, with just four victories along the way—an area they will aim to improve upon this term.

Team News

Eyupspor will be without David Costa, who is suspended after receiving a red card during the loss to Besiktas, which makes him the only player confirmed as absent for the hosts.

Pulat is expected to maintain the same tactical approach employed last weekend, with Ahmed Abdullahi likely to lead the attack as they look to pose a stronger offensive threat.

Gaziantep have no suspension issues ahead of the fixture but are still missing Badou Ndiaye, who continues to recover from an injury sustained last season.

The visitors are anticipated to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Drissa Camara and Kacper Kozlowski supporting the central striker, Trivante Stewart, who has joined the squad during the summer transfer window.

Eyupspor probable starting XI:

Moldovan; Calegari, The Yamiq, Jules, Ulvan; Taskin; Paint, Sabiri, Raux Yao, Painter; Abdullah

Gaziantep probable starting XI:

Tobiasz; Meleke, Abena, Perez; Sorescu, Maxim, Gidado, Stefan; Camara, Kozlowski; Stewart

We anticipate a more competitive matchup than the 3-0 encounter between these teams in April, with Eyupspor likely to adopt a more defensive stance while Gaziantep is expected to dominate possession.

With neither side demonstrating the necessary attacking consistency to warrant a high-scoring affair, a draw appears to be the most probable outcome at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu.