Konyaspor vs Göztepe SK – News and Probable Lineups

Konyaspor will be looking for a resurgence in the Turkish Super Lig as they prepare to host a strong Goztepe SK at the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium for the 21st round of matches.

Ilhan Palut has returned to manage the Konya-based club for another term after being appointed on Friday, with his first challenge set against a team that is currently unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions.

Match overview

Palut is the third head coach to take charge of Konyaspor this season, stepping in after the club parted ways with Cagdas Atan following last weekend’s 2–1 loss to Besiktas.

The Anatolian Eagles took an early lead with Deniz Turuc scoring in the 22nd minute, but they allowed their opponents to equalize before halftime and conceded again in the 77th minute, stretching their winless league streak to 10 matches (D5, L5), the longest in the league right now.

Atan managed nine of those fixtures, resulting in five draws and four losses, leaving the Konya club in 14th place in the Super Lig standings, only three points clear of the relegation zone.

Hoping for an immediate turnaround, Palut can draw confidence from Konyaspor’s emphatic 5–0 victory over Aliaga in the Turkish Cup on Thursday, making all five of their last 16 wins across all competitions come from that tournament.

This latest result has also seen the Anatolian Eagles maintain a six-match unbeaten run at home (W2, D4), although all four draws were in the league, meaning they have not won at home in their last seven league matches heading into Sunday’s clash.

In contrast, Goztepe has been on a much better run, winning four of their last five league fixtures (D1) including a 2–1 comeback victory against Fatih Karagumruk last weekend.

Even after conceding an early goal to Serginho, Goz Goz equalized just seven minutes later through Junior Olaitan, then Janderson netted the decisive goal just before halftime.

Consequently, Stanimir Stoilov’s squad has secured 11 wins from their 20 Super Lig games this season (D6, L4), positioning them fourth in the table, trailing Trabzonspor by three points, Fenerbahce by seven, and leaders Galatasaray by 10 points.

Goztepe is currently clinging to the European qualification places with a mere two-point buffer, making this weekend’s match essential for their aspirations. Their confidence will be bolstered by the fact they have won three of their last four away league games (D1), establishing them as the fourth-best away team in the league with 18 points from 30 available on the road.

However, recent encounters against Konyaspor have not been in their favor, as Goz Goz has failed to win five of the last six meetings (D1, L4), including a 1–1 draw in their earlier fixture, and their last two visits to Konya have ended in defeat.

Team News

Despite finding the net in their last league match, Turuc will not feature for Konyaspor this weekend as he serves a suspension due to accumulating four yellow cards this season.

Defensive midfielder Ufuk Akyol remains sidelined as he recovers from a knee injury sustained in October, while winger Pedrinho may miss out for the seventh consecutive fixture.

For Goztepe, right-back Arda Okan Kurtulan was substituted in the victory over Karagumruk last weekend, leaving him questionable for Sunday’s encounter.

Other than that, the visitors face no significant injury issues, although Stoilov will be without Olaitan and Rhaldney, who have both recently transferred to Bediktas and Alverca, respectively.

Konyaspor probable starting XI:

Gungordu; Andzouana, Yazgili, Demirbag, Guilherme; Kutlu, Bjorlo; Tasci, Svendsen, Muleka; Kramer

Goztepe SK probable starting XI:

Lis; Altikardes, Heliton, Bokele; Kurtulan, Bekiroglu, Miroshi, Cherni; Gomez; Janderson, Juan

Gonyaspor will undoubtedly go all out against Goztepe in search of a boost from their new manager, but the visitors’ current form indicates they might withstand the challenge.

A draw seems the most likely outcome, although Palut should take some positives from what could be a lively performance from the Anatolian Eagles.