Karagumruk vs Alanyaspor – News and Probable Lineups

Fatih Karagumruk, who are already relegated, will aim to conclude their Turkish Super Lig season on a positive note when they take on Alanyaspor at the Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

The hosts are positioned second from the bottom with 27 points and cannot avoid relegation, as the four-point deficit from safety is unmanageable with only one match left.

Match overview

As the season kicked off in August 2025, Karagumruk appeared to be a team struggling to adjust under new head coach Marcel Licka, particularly after parting with several important attacking players over the summer.

Their campaign took a downturn swiftly, starting with a heavy 3-0 loss to Galatasaray in the opening weekend, followed by a disastrous streak that saw them lose nine of their first 11 league fixtures, managing only one victory and one draw during that time.

By mid-season, the Istanbul club was firmly entrenched in the relegation zone, leading to Licka’s departure and the introduction of Onur Can Korkmaz — the manager who had earlier steered them to promotion – yet even that switch did not yield significant improvement.

In January, they installed Aleksandar Stanojevic as head coach. Although results did not show immediate improvement, gradual enhancements became noticeable – a highlight being in March when Karagumruk surprisingly defeated Fenerbahce 2-0, inflicting their first league defeat of the season.

Following this, the Black Reds have become much more competitive, especially at the back, entering this final match undefeated in their last three league encounters, with successive 1-0 victories over Kocaelispor and Genclerbirligi after a hard-fought goalless draw away to Besiktas.

Their home performances have also seen considerable enhancement, with Karagumruk losing only one of their last six games at this venue, winning four and drawing one while achieving four clean sheets during this span — indicating the resilience they’ve developed, albeit too late to salvage their season.

Their current aim is to avoid extending a poor sequence against Alanyaspor, as they have not won any of the last nine encounters between the teams across all competitions.

Alanyaspor comes into this match with significantly less pressure, having secured their safety from relegation and comfortably settling in mid-table. They will also aim to keep their unbeaten run against Karagumruk this season, having triumphed 2-0 earlier in the league and managing a 2-2 draw against them in the Turkish Cup, although both of these matches were played on home turf.

Their most recent visit to this ground in 2024 concluded in a 1-1 draw, extending their unbeaten record away to Karagumruk to three matches, with two victories and a draw during that period.

However, Joao Pereira’s side has faced considerable struggles on the road this year. Alanyaspor has not claimed an away league victory since October 2025, going through 14 consecutive away league fixtures without a win — drawing 11 and losing three.

This tendency to share points has characterized much of their season. Alanyaspor has accumulated a league-high 16 draws this campaign and could finish just shy of the Super Lig record for 18 draws, set by MKE Ankaragucu in the 1982-83 season.

Even with minimal stakes involved, the visitors will strive to extend their unbeaten streak to three matches after a goalless derby draw with Antalyaspor followed by a 3-1 win over Kayserispor in their last two encounters.

Team News

Karagumruk continues to be without Joao Camacho, who is still recovering from injury, and both Ahmet Sivri and Moussa Kone are also unavailable.

Shavy Warren Babicka and Serginho seem to have sustained injuries in their last league match and are doubtful for this clash, which could necessitate alterations in the attacking formation.

Young striker Baris Kalayci, who has contributed one goal and two assists in the league this term, might be given a starting chance.

In contrast, Alanyaspor has nearly a full squad at their disposal, with Yusuf Ozdemir being the only absentee due to a suspension linked to the ongoing betting scandal.

Defenders Nuno Lima and Umit Akdag, alongside midfielders Maestro and Ruan, are all expected to return after serving yellow card suspensions last week.

Fatih Karagumruk probable starting XI:

Grbic; Esgaio, Lichnoxy, Biraschi, Mladenovic; Verde, Ozcan, Elmaz; Kalayci, Cukur, Larsson

Alanyaspor probable starting XI:

Victor; Akdag, Aksoy, Lima; Ruan, Maestro, Makouta, Hadergjonaj; Elia, Yalcin, Hwang

Karagumruk will be keen to offer their fans a positive memory before dropping to the second tier, though missing individuals in attack may restrict their effectiveness.

Alanyaspor’s durability and their propensity to draw matches this season hint at a closely contested fixture, and another draw appears to be the most probable outcome.