Göztepe SK vs Çaykur Rizespor – News and Probable Lineups

Goztepe SK is still looking for their first league win of the season as they host Caykur Rizespor at Gursel Aksel Stadyumu this Sunday in the sixth round of the Turkish Super Lig, finding themselves at the very bottom of the standings.

The home side has managed to collect only two points from their first five matches, whereas the away team comes into the fixture with nine points, having secured three victories from their opening five games and winning all three of their away matches.

Match overview

The challenging start for Goztepe continued last weekend with a 2-2 draw against Alanyaspor, though this result halted a streak of three straight losses to Genclerbirligi, Galatasaray, and Gaziantep.

Stanimir Stoilov’s squad fell behind on two occasions but demonstrated sufficient resilience to respond each time, with Rhaldney netting their first equalizer before Juan scored from the penalty spot to level in the second half.

This draw left Goztepe with two draws and three defeats in five league games, despite finding the net nine times. Only four teams have scored more goals at this stage of the season.

However, their major concern lies in their defence, having already conceded 13 goals, with four coming against Gaziantep and three against Galatasaray. The absence of key defensive players is becoming a significant narrative as the season progresses.

Goztepe will aim to restore the defensive strength that allowed them to achieve a league-leading 16 clean sheets last season, and they can take some solace from their recent encounters with Caykur Rizespor, winning three of the last four matches, including both fixtures last season.

On the other hand, Rizespor’s path to their nine points has been quite different, with all three of their wins coming on the road.

They secured victories against Konyaspor, Gaziantep, and Eyupspor away from home, while suffering defeats in their two home matches against Samsunspor and Alanyaspor.

Their most recent triumphant outing was a composed 2-0 win over Eyupspor, with Ali Sowe opening the scoring and Emrecan Bulut confirming the victory in stoppage time.

The visitors will be hoping that their current strong away form will help them break a two-match losing streak in Izmir, where they have managed only one win in their last six top-flight visits.

Team News

Goztepe’s defensive woes are made worse by a lengthy injury list, with Allan Godoi, Noah Sonko Sundberg, Furkan Bayir, Gokdeniz Bayrakdar, and Ibrahim Sabra all ruled out.

Ogun Bayrak is also unavailable for this match due to suspension resulting from his red card against Gaziantep.

Alexis Antunes is expected to keep his position after providing an assist against Alanyaspor, with Juan and Janderson likely to continue leading the attack.

Rizespor will have to cope without Valentin Mihaila, who received a red card just before half-time in the match against Eyupspor and will also miss the journey to Izmir due to suspension.

Emrecan Bulut is the frontrunner to take his place after scoring from the bench last weekend, while Khusniddin Alikulov continues to be sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury.

Goztepe SK probable starting XI:

Ozcimen; Altikardes, Yildirim, Bokele; Kurtulan, Gomes, Matos, Akonnor; Antunes; Janderson, Juan

Caykur Rizespor probable starting XI:

Fofana; Pala, Sagnan, Mocsi, Sahin; Antalyali; Bulut, Laci, Olawoyin, Kutucu; Sowe

Rizespor’s excellent away record makes them a challenging opponent to overlook, but Goztepe has showcased enough attacking talent in their last two fixtures to indicate that they may finally capture their first league win in this contest.

We anticipate that both sides will find the net, yet the advantage of playing at home combined with Goztepe’s recent offensive improvement should be sufficient to earn a point in what is likely to be a closely contested match.