Kocaelispor vs Gaziantep – News and Probable Lineups

Kocaelispor is set to host Gaziantep in a Super League match on Saturday at the Yildiz Entegre Kocaeli Stadium.

Currently, there is a mere point separating these two teams in the league standings, with Kocaelispor sitting in fifth place with nine points and Gaziantep positioned seventh with eight points, both having played five matches.

Match overview

Kocaelispor faced off against league leaders Galatasaray in their previous encounter, but a long-range strike from Abdulkerim Bardakci in the 71st minute was the deciding moment in a 1-0 defeat.

Their goalkeeper, Serhat Oztasdelen, played a crucial role in keeping the score respectable by thwarting efforts from Baris Alper Yilmaz, Deniz Gul, and Rafael Leao in the first half alone.

That defeat halted a three-match winning streak in the league and also brought an end to Kocaelispor’s run of three consecutive victories over Galatasaray in this matchup.

Dan Agyei hit the post in the 38th minute at RAMS Park and is still the player that Selcuk Inan relies on most to penetrate well-organized defenses.

Kocaelispor has achieved three wins, no draws, and two losses in their first five league matches this season, securing victories against Amed Sportif (2-0) and Samsunspor (1-0) at home, along with a comeback win away against Konyaspor (2-1).

In their last encounter at this venue in February, Selcuk Inan’s side convincingly defeated Gaziantep 3-0, thanks to a red card issued to Nazim Sangare, which left the visitors with ten men during the latter stages of the game.

Meanwhile, Gaziantep commenced the 2026-27 season under Mirel Radoi, recording a 1-1 draw against Alanyaspor, followed by a 1-0 away victory at Eyupspor and a 2-1 defeat to Caykur Rizespor.

However, only one win from three matches led to Radoi departing Gaziantep Futbol Kulubu by mutual consent on August 31 after a 132-day tenure.

Orhan Ak, formerly of Eyupspor, stepped in as the new head coach on September 4, making an immediate impact with a 4-2 away win against Goztepe in his first match in charge.

In that match, Halil Dervisoglu scored within five minutes, Myenty Abena added a second with a near-post header, and Kacper Kozlowski netted a brace in the second half around a penalty save from Kacper Tobiasz.

Following that, Ak secured a hard-fought goalless draw at home against Fenerbahce in gameweek five, which he described afterwards as a valuable point given the disparity in resources between Anadolu clubs and the traditional top four.

Gaziantep currently occupies the seventh spot with two wins, two draws, and one loss from five matches.

This upcoming match also has a personal angle, as Ak started his playing career at Kocaelispor from 1996 to 2003 before moving on to Galatasaray.

Team News

Selcuk Inan is anticipated to maintain a similar lineup following a commendable performance against Galatasaray, although Makana Baku may replace Agyei on the left flank.

Bruno Petkovic remains sidelined with injury and is not expected to return for another four to six weeks. Inan has confirmed that goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanovic and midfielder Rigoberto Rivas will only resume full training after the international break, making them unavailable for the Gaziantep fixture.

On the other hand, Gaziantep will again be missing three players for the trip to Kocaeli, as Ali Kalin, Nazim Sangare, and Fuat Bavuk are all out of action.

Kocaelispor probable starting XI:

Oztasdalen; Haidara, Maglica, Zoukrou, Dijksteel; Susoho, Show, Kutlu; Baku, Aye, Sousa

Gaziantep probable starting XI:

Tobiasz; Calhanoglu, Abena, Kizildag, Perez; Melek; Kozlowski, Maxim, Gidado, Sorescu; dervisoglu

Kocaelispor’s convincing 3-0 victory over these rivals during their previous meeting at this venue indicates that the home side might edge a closely contested fixture, even against a Gaziantep team that has performed well away from home this season.

Indeed, Gaziantep has secured two wins out of their three away league games this season. However, their sole defeat occurred during an away trip to Caykur Rizespor, and Kocaelispor did notably defeat them 3-0 in their last encounter at this stadium.

The attacking momentum established by Kocaelispor from three consecutive wins in August and early September, combined with home advantage and a solid defensive unit, is expected to be sufficient to overcome a Gaziantep side that is still adjusting to its third head coach of the year.