After seeing their three-match unbeaten streak snapped by a narrow 2-1 defeat to Galatasaray, Goztepe SK will look to immediately rebound when they host Kasimpasa at the Gursel Aksel Stadium on Sunday.
The hosts, one of the standout teams of the season in the Turkish Super Lig, have been nearly invincible at home, while Kasimpasa have shown resilience on the road, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in Izmir.
Match preview
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Despite losing 2-1 to Galatasaray, Goztepe demonstrated their mettle by limiting the league leaders' chances and providing stiff resistance.
Stanimir Stoilov's men quickly regained momentum with a hard-fought 1-0 Turkish Cup victory over Erzurumspor, a result they aim to replicate in the league as they push for a top-four spot.
Currently fifth in the Super Lig standings with 28 points, Goztepe are just two points behind fourth-placed Eyupspor, who have played one more game, leaving the newly-promoted side as a dark horse in the race for European football, and Sunday's clash provides a golden opportunity to strengthen their position.
Only Galatasaray (26) have earned more points at home than Goztepe (22) this season, with the Izmir side averaging an impressive 2.75 points per game at the Gursel Aksel Stadium, the most in the league.
Undefeated at home in the league, Goztepe have amassed seven wins and one draw, a record that gives them every reason for confidence heading into this encounter – however, caution is warranted, as Kasimpasa edged them 3-2 the last time these sides met at this venue.
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For Kasimpasa, this fixture is a chance to end their recent slump, with the Apaches winless in their last three games, starting 2025 just like they ended 2024, recording 2-2 draws against Istanbul Basaksehir and Gaziantep before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Turkish Cup last Thursday.
While they currently sit ninth in the table with 21 points, only five points separate them from the relegation zone, and another poor result could drag Hakan Keles's side into the survival scrap.
One area of optimism for the visitors is their remarkable away form, Kasimpasa have avoided defeat in their last 10 competitive away games, recording four wins and six draws in a streak dating back to last season.
Interestingly, the visitors are currently on a five-match unbeaten streak in the Super Lig, but it has been an underwhelming run, given that they have won just one of those games.
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Team News
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Goztepe's Isaac Solet has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
Other absentees include David Datro Fofana, Kuryu Matsuki, Dogan Erdogan and Kubilay Kanatsizkus, though none are expected to significantly impact Stoilov's starting XI.
For Kasimpasa, Kenneth Omeruo remains the only doubt as he continues his recovery from a ligament injury.
Nuno da Costa, who has netted eight league goals in 15 appearances, will be the key attacking threat for the visitors as they aim to secure a vital result on Sunday.
Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Lis; Bokele, Heliton, Gunter; Silva, Dennis, Miroshi, Nielsen; Matsuki; Tijanic, Romulo
Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:
Gianniotis; Espinoza, Ozcan, Opoku, Rodrigues; Gul; Brekalo, Barak, Hajradinovic, Ouanes; Da Costa
We say: Goztepe SK 2-1 Kasimpasa
Goztepe's imperious home form makes them favorites to secure victory in this one, though Kasimpasa's unbeaten away streak adds intrigue, we expect the hosts to earn a positive result here due to home support.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
