Istanbul vs Kocaeli Sport – News and Probable Lineups

Istanbul Basaksehir and Kocaelispor will kick off their 2026-27 Super Lig season on Sunday.

Last season, Istanbul Basaksehir ended in fifth place while Kocaelispor came in at the 10th position.

Match overview

After securing qualification for the Conference League preliminary rounds, Istanbul Basaksehir looked set to advance to the League Phase confidently.

However, they suffered an unexpected 3-1 loss on aggregate to Inter Turku, the Finnish team that has never participated in the main phase of a European tournament.

After such a disheartening exit, Nuri Sahin’s task is to regain momentum within his squad, but the primary focus will be on securing another top-five finish in the Super Lig.

Istanbul Basaksehir has consistently placed either fourth or fifth in every campaign since the 2021-22 season. Still, following new signings by the current “big four” teams in Turkish football, the Grey Owls face the risk of being left behind by this elite group.

Their prospects may depend on striker Eldor Shomurodov, who netted 22 goals in 34 Super Lig matches during the 2025-26 season.

As for Kocaelispor, they are now considered an established top-tier club following last season’s 10th place finish.

In their first Super Lig season since 2008-09, they managed to score only 26 goals, the least in the league.

Nevertheless, Selcuk Inan’s side managed to limit their concessions to 38 and amassed 37 points, avoiding relegation by a five-point cushion.

Building on this foundation will be the goal this season, having brought in five new players while retaining the likes of Habib Keita and Show, both of whom had their loan agreements made permanent after impressive performances during their initial year at the club.

Team News

Despite their exit from the Conference League, Sahin may opt to field a similar lineup to that which featured in the 2-0 loss in Finland over two weeks ago.

Bertug Yildirim is vying to take Davie Selke’s spot in the attack, while Uzbekistan international Abbosbek Fayzullaev could be deployed on the right side after contributing three goals and five assists in 20 appearances in his inaugural Super Lig season.

Kocaelispor could provide immediate playing opportunities for new arrivals Emir Ortakaya and Makana Baku.

This is due to the departures of Hrvoje Smolcic and Darko Churlinov, who were part of the last league fixture of the 2025-26 season.

Dan Agyei, who was responsible for five of the club’s total of 26 Super Lig goals last term, might be at the forefront of the attack.

Istanbul Basaksehir probable starting XI:

Think; Bulut, Ba, Bayram, Opera; Faizullaev, Gunes, Ozdemir, Brnic; Shomurodov, Selke

Kocaelispor probable starting XI:

Oztasdelen; Oguz, Dijksteel, Ortakaya, Haidara; Keita, Show, Susoho; Rivas, Agyei, Baku

While Kocaelispor will be enjoying the role of underdogs in this encounter, it’s important to recognize that Basaksehir has match experience on their side. With this in mind, we expect the home team to prevail in what should be a closely contested fixture to commence their season.