Trabzonspor will aim to build on their promising start under Fatih Tekke when they host Goztepe SK in round 29 of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
The Black Sea Storm ended their away-day struggles in their first match under the new manager, and Tekke will now be eager to replicate that success in his first home game in charge.
Match preview
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Trabzonspor officially announced that they would be parting ways with head coach Senol Gunes after the loss to Hatayspor, a decision prompted by the team’s underwhelming league campaign.
The 72-year-old tactician, in his fifth spell with the club, had overseen a difficult run, losing three of his last five matches and failing to secure a single away win before his departure.
Tekke, a former Trabzonspor player, was swiftly appointed as his replacement and made an immediate impact, guiding the team to their first away victory of the season—a commanding 3-0 triumph over Istanbul Basaksehir.
Currently sitting ninth in the table with 35 points, Trabzonspor are nine points adrift of the top four, making European qualification an unlikely prospect – however, Tekke will be determined to instil consistency and push his side as far up the table as possible.
With a Turkish Cup quarter-final on the horizon and league clashes against Fenerbahce and Galatasaray still to come, the new manager has plenty of opportunities to win over the fans.
For now, the focus will be on avenging their 2-1 defeat to Goztepe in the reverse fixture—a result that ended a five-match unbeaten streak against the visitors.
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This appears to be the perfect time to face Goztepe, who are winless in their last seven league outings, most recently drawing 1-1 at home to Eyupspor.
Stanimir Stoilov‘s side conceded the opening goal in the 65th minute before equalising six minutes later, but they failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage after Eyupspor were reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute.
This lack of ruthlessness has become a recurring theme for Goz Goz, as they also squandered leads against Samsunspor and Sivasspor before failing to press home their advantage against Eyupspor.
While they remain just seven points off the top four, their dismal form makes European qualification a distant dream, and given their struggles in the league, Goztepe may shift their focus towards their Turkish Cup quarter-final against Besiktas on Thursday, which could take priority over this league encounter.
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Team News
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Trabzonspor have several injury concerns, with Arsenii Batahov, Stefan Savic and Huseyin Turkmen all sidelined.
Onuralp Cevikkan, Anthony Nwakaeme and Ahmet Yildirim complete a six-man injury list for the Black Sea Storm.
Additionally, leading goalscorer Simon Banza is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, meaning Enis Destan is likely to lead the line.
Goztepe will also be without key players, as Ismail Koybasi, Lasse Nielsen and Novatus Miroshi are all suspended.
Djalma Silva remains out injured, while Isaac Solet is ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.
Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Malheiro, Mendy, Saatci, Eskihellac; Lundstram, Yokuslu; Visca, Tufan, Sikan; Destan
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Gunter, Bokele, Altikardes; Bayrak, IIdiz, Dennis, Sangare; Matsuki; Romulo, Juan
We say: Trabzonspor 3-0 Goztepe SK
Before Tekke’s arrival, Trabzonspor’s season had largely depended on their strong home form, and we expect that to continue at Papara Park.
Given that they are up against a side struggling to capitalise on key moments in recent matches, the Black Sea Storm should have the upper hand in this encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
