Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray – News and Probable Lineups

Trabzonspor will host Galatasaray at Papara Park on Saturday evening, featuring one of the most crucial matches of the Turkish Super Lig. The reigning champions will seek to preserve their unbeaten streak, while the home side aims to replicate their notable victory over the Istanbul rivals from April.

Cimbom currently leads the league table with 13 points after five matches, whereas Trabzonspor is in ninth place with seven points and is targeting a significant win to calm recent anxieties surrounding the club.

Match overview

Trabzonspor approaches this matchup with a blend of confidence and doubt, following a tumultuous few weeks that saw the dismissal of Fatih Tekke after their Europa League exit to Ferencvaros, subsequently appointing former player Huseyin Cimsir on a temporary basis.

Cimsir’s arrival was immediately impactful as Trabzonspor triumphed over Genclerbirligi 5-0 in his debut match, featuring a brace from Paul Onuachu and an excellent performance from Mohamed Salah. However, they faced a setback with a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor last weekend, which halted their momentum.

This defeat leaves Trabzonspor with two wins, one draw, and two losses from their first five league games, registering nine goals scored against five conceded, trailing six points behind Saturday’s opponents.

The home team aspires to reproduce the result from their last encounter with Galatasaray, which ended in a 2-1 win for Trabzonspor in April. Onuachu struck first after four minutes, followed by Wilfried Singo equalizing in the second half and Chibuike Nwaiwu scoring the winning goal in the 62nd minute.

This victory held significance at the time as it brought Trabzonspor within a point of Galatasaray in the title race, although they ultimately finished eight points behind the Lions, who claimed the championship and increased Trabzonspor’s title drought to four seasons.

Galatasaray is aiming for a fifth consecutive Super Lig title and has commenced the new season with four wins and one draw, scoring 13 goals and conceding six, placing them just one point ahead of second-placed Besiktas.

Their most recent league match resulted in a tight 1-0 win against Kocaelispor, with captain Abdulkerim Bardakci netting the decisive goal in the 71st minute, securing their fourth successive league victory.

Following a 2-2 draw at home with newly promoted Corum during the opening weekend, Okan Buruk’s squad has bounced back with four straight league wins, although their unbeaten domestic start was disrupted by a 3-1 defeat in the Champions League to Sporting CP.

Galatasaray will look to overcome the atmosphere at Papara Park again after their April loss, having gone seven matches without a defeat in the venue across all competitions before that, achieving four victories and three draws.

The Lions have been perfect on their travels this Super Lig season, winning both away fixtures and scoring a total of seven goals while conceding two, with impressive 4-0 and 3-2 wins against Erzurumspor and Istanbul Basaksehir, respectively. However, Saturday’s encounter will pose their toughest challenge yet on the road.

Team News

Trabzonspor is likely to be without Ruslan Malinoxyi, Okay Yokuslu, Tim Jabol-Folcarelli, and Arseniy Batagov, with Noah Saviolo also ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

Cimsir is expected to maintain the 4-2-3-1 formation utilized in last matches, with Fabinho and Ozan Tufan serving as protective midfielders, while Salah, Ernest Muci, and Aral Simshir will operate as attacking midfielders behind Onuachu if he is cleared to participate.

Salah has already scored four league goals and provided an assist, while Simshir has created six significant chances, indicating that the home side poses threats from various attacking areas.

Yunus Akgun has also managed six key chances in the Super Lig this season, with his 2.0 expected assists ranking second in the league, slightly behind teammate Gabriel Sara’s 2.1.

However, the absence of Victor Osimhen is a major setback for the visitors in a match of this significance, as the Nigerian striker sustained a groin injury during the win over Basaksehir, leading to his unavailability for the Champions League loss to Sporting and the league victory over Kocaelispor.

Galatasaray confirmed that Osimhen is undergoing treatment for his injury, with current estimates suggesting a return at the end of September.

In his absence, Baris Alper Yilmaz and Deniz Gul have played centrally in the last two matches, with Rafael Leao and Leroy Sane among the possible options to provide width in attack.

Additionally, Mario Lemina and Wilfried Singo are also out, while goalkeeper Gunay Guvenc remains unavailable.

Trabzonspor probable starting XI:

Onana; Pina, Nwaiwu, Savic, Eskihellac; Fabinho, Ozan Tufan; Salah, Muci, Simshir; Onuachu

Galatasaray probable starting XI:

Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Ismail Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Sane, Akgun, Leao; BA Yilmaz

Galatasaray’s unbeaten run makes them a formidable opponent, but Osimhen’s absence takes away a crucial element from their offense, potentially making this game closer than the current league standings indicate.

Trabzonspor has clearly shown in their previous clash with Galatasaray that they can make Papara Park a challenging venue for the champions, and their victory in April gives Cimsir’s squad proof that they can prevail in this matchup.

The hosts have also been solid at home this season, securing victories in both matches on their turf, but Galatasaray’s robust away form may be sufficient to guarantee them at least a point.