Goztepe SK and Southampton are set to meet in a pre-season friendly at the Bornova Aziz Kocaoglu Stadium on Saturday evening.
The hosts are preparing for another season in the Turkish second tier, having came up short in the playoffs last season, while the visitors are set for their first season in the Championship since the 2011-12 campaign.
Match preview
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Goztepe finished seventh in the league last season, meaning they advanced to the quarter-final stage of the playoffs, but they fell at the first hurdle, losing 3-1 away at Bodrumspor, the side that went on to lose the playoff final.
It was shaping up to be a fantastic season for Goz, who only finished eight points off the automatic promotion places, but they failed to win any of their last four games, drawing all of them.
As such, Ekrem Dag will be hoping his side can go one step further this time around and win promotion back to the Super Lig for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign, in which they only managed to collect 28 points from 38 games before ultimately being relegated.
The Turkish side face a tough test in their first pre-season game, however, against a Southampton team that have only just been relegated from the Premier League.
Indeed, the Saints' time in the top flight of English football finally came to an end last season, finishing bottom of the table, 11 points from safety, meaning they are set to compete in the Championship for the first time in over 10 years in the 2023-24 campaign.
Ahead of the new season, owners Sport Republic have moved swiftly to appoint Russell Martin as a successor to Ruben Selles, who failed to instigate the turnaround he would have hoped for after being appointed at the end of February.
Martin is set to take over a team that struggled considerably last season, particularly in the final few months, having failed to win any of their last 13 Premier League games, despite some promising signs early on in Selles's reign.
Southampton have already played one pre-season game, but Martin did not get the result he would have wanted against Benfica, with his side succumbing to a 2-0 defeat, although it was against strong opposition.
The Saints should stand more of a chance against Goztepe on Saturday, with the two sides set to lock horns for the first time in their history.
Team News
Goztepe have been very active in the transfer market, having signed Mateusz Liz on loan from Southampton, and the goalkeeper could be set to make his first start on Saturday, in front of what could be a new-look back five.
Tarkan Serbest and Taha Altikardes have been brought in to strengthen the centre-back area, while Dag will also have Ali Dere and Ogun Bayrak to choose from at full-back, having signed the quartet on free transfers.
Loue Bayere Junior could also get some minutes in attack, with the striker recently arriving from Swedish side Hammarby.
As for the Saints, the futures of James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia remain in doubt amid interest from the Premier League, but the midfielders got some game time against Benfica, and they could feature again this weekend.
Southampton have not been as busy in the transfer window as their opponents, but Ryan Manning and Shea Charles could get some game time, with the latter recently joining from Manchester City.
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Bayrak, Serbest, Altikardes, Nukan, Dere; Obinna, Kayan, Palmer; Ngalina, Kvasina
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Stephens, Lyanco, Salisu; Walker-Peters, Ward-Prowse, Smallbone, Alcaraz, Djenepo; Mara, Adams
We say: Goztepe SK 0-3 Southampton
Although both teams compete in the second tier of their respective countries, Southampton are a vastly superior side, and they should have no trouble recording their first pre-season victory.
Martin will be hoping to build some momentum ahead of the new campaign, with friendlies against Reading and AZ Alkmaar pencilled in for later this month.
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Dominic Lund
