Galatasaray vs Eyupspor – News and Probable Lineups

Galatasaray, the leaders of the Turkish Super Lig, are aiming for their fourth consecutive win as they welcome relegation-threatened Eyupspor to Rams Park this Friday evening.

Having secured a 2-0 victory in their previous encounter back in September, Galatasaray has the opportunity to achieve their first-ever league double over Eyupspor and extend their lead to six points at the top of the table.

Match overview

Once again, Galatasaray finds themselves in a tight title contest with their city rivals, Fenerbahce—though Trabzonspor’s recent resurgence could complicate things for the Istanbul clubs.

A dominant 3-0 win against Rizespor in their last match kept Okan Buruk’s side three points ahead as they pursue a fourth successive title for the first time in 26 years.

With an eye on their upcoming Champions League playoff tie against Juventus, the Lions are looking to make it six victories from their last seven domestic fixtures, following a loss to Fenerbahce in the Super Cup final earlier this year.

Having not lost any of their 11 home league matches this season (W8, D3), Galatasaray has been formidable at home and will be a tough opponent to deny a full set of points.

Galatasaray has been quick to break the deadlock in four of their last five matches and will aim to do so again against an opponent that has conceded the first goal in eight of their last nine encounters.

Eyupspor exceeded expectations by finishing sixth during their first season in the top division, totaling 53 points after winning the TFF First League in the 2023-24 season.

This impressive performance nearly secured the Super Lig newcomers a spot in European competitions, missing out by just a single point, alerting the entire league. However, Atilla Gerin’s team has faced a significant decline this season.

An unfortunate start, with only two wins from 13 matches (D3, L8), has set the tone for a tough campaign, and Eyupspor has been unable to turn their fortunes around.

The Golden Horns managed to create a five-match unbeaten streak to kick off 2026 but suffered a 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir on Sunday, leaving them 15th in the standings, merely two points above the relegation zone ahead of their match in the capital.

While Eyupspor has struggled on the road this season, they managed to gather seven points from the last 12 available after losing six out of their first seven away league matches.

Team News

Metahan Baltaci of Galatasaray is still under a nine-month suspension due to his involvement in a major betting scandal and will miss Friday’s fixture.

Leroy Sane and Arda Unyay remain unavailable for the hosts, though Mario Lemina returns from a one-match ban.

Victor Osimhen has found the net in five consecutive league matches, but the Nigerian forward trails his compatriot Paul Onuachu and Eldor Shomurodov by six goals in the race for the Golden Boot.

Luccas Claro has been sidelined since October, dealing with an ankle injury sustained during a 2-0 defeat to Trabzonspor.

Taras Stepanenko will miss his sixth consecutive game, continuing a challenging period with Eyupspor due to injury.

The 29-year-old Umut Bozok has scored four goals in his last five matches for the visitors and is one to keep an eye on.

Galatasaray probable starting XI:

Cakir; Elmali, Bardakci, Sanchez, Sallai; Lemina, Torreira; Akgun, Sara, Lang; Osimhen

Eyupspor probable starting XI:

Yilmaz; Ulvan, Onguene, Ozyurt, Meras; Taskin; Pintor, Akbaba, Gezek, Altunbas; Bozok

With the attacking options available to Galatasaray, the Turkish champions are expected to secure a comfortable victory in this encounter.