Preview: Genclerbirligi vs Kasimpasa - prediction, team news, lineups

Both seeking to pick up a huge result in the relegation dogfight, Genclerbirligi and Kasimpasa go head to head at the Eryaman Stadium in the penultimate round of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.

With their Turkiye Kupasi semi-final clash against Trabzonspor on the horizon, the home side will also be out for a morale-boosting result, with Kasimpasa needing a point to confirm their safety.

Match preview

Following what seemed like a resurgent spell down the decisive stretch of the season, Genclerbirligi suffered a significant setback at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium last Sunday when they were beaten 1-0 by fellow strugglers Fatih Karagumruk in a major blow to their survival hopes.

Tiago Cukur broke the deadlock with a header inside the box in the 17th minute to put Karagumruk in front, and after Metehan Mimaroglu failed to level matters from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time, the hosts held their own after the break to see out just their sixth league win of the campaign.

Genclerbirligi had picked up back-to-back victories in their previous two outings, beating Galatasaray 2-0 to cause an upset in the Turkiye Kupasi quarter-finals on April 22, four days before edging out Kocaelispor 1-0 on home turf to secure their first league win since February 1.

Making their return to the Super Lig this season since going down in 2021, Metin Diyadin’s men have struggled to impose themselves in the big leagues once again, claiming seven wins and losing 18 of their 32 matches to sit 16th in the standings, one point behind 15th-placed Antalyaspor just above the relegation zone.

Next up is the challenge of an opposing side, who are unbeaten in seven of their last 10 encounters, picking up five wins and two draws since losing three consecutive meetings between April 2015 and February 2016.

On the other hand, Kasimpasa failed to mathematically seal their safety last weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kocaelispor when the two sides squared off at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium.

Having won their previous three home games, Adrian Benedyczak opened the scoring from close range in the second minute to put the hosts on course for a fourth victory on the spin in front of their supporters, but Dan Agyei hit back for Kocaelispor in the 23rd minute to force a share of the spoils.

With that result, Kasimpasa have gone unbeaten in six of their eight Super Lig matches since the start of March, picking up three wins and three draws, having failed to win 10 of the 11 league games preceding this run.

This solid run of results has put Emre Belozoglu’s men on the cusp of safety, as they sit 13th in the Super Lig standings with 32 points from 32 matches, four points above the dreaded bottom three heading into the final two matches.

While Kasimpasa will be looking to return to winning ways this weekend, results on the road offer little room for optimism, with the Istanbul outfit failing to taste victory in their last nine away matches, losing five and claiming four draws since scraping a 2-1 win over Alanyaspor on November 23.

Genclerbirligi Turkish Super Lig form:

Genclerbirligi form (all competitions):

Kasimpasa Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Genclerbirligi will take to the pitch without the midfield duo of Peter Etebo and 28-year-old Moussa Kyabou, who are recuperating from muscle and knee injuries respectively.

Turkish defender Abdullah Sahindere has been sidelined through a knee problem while experienced forward Henry Onyekuru has missed the last four matches and is also out of contention for the hosts.

As for Kasimpasa, veteran defender Claudio Winck was forced off injured late in the game against Kocaelispor last time out and the 32-year-old is a major doubt for this weekend’s tie.

Should he fail to shake off the injury, Dutch full-back Frimpong will return to the fold, forming the back four with Adem Arous, Kamil Corekci and 30-year-old Rodrigo Becao, who missed the draw with Kocaelispor due to suspension.

Gabonese striker Jim Allevinah is also set to sit out his fourth consecutive game, while Bosnian midfielder Haris Hajradinovic continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury back in September 2025.

Genclerbirligi possible starting lineup:

Velho; Uzum, Goutas, Kelven, Dursun; Diabate, Onur; Traore, Tongya, Koita; Mimarogl

Kasimpasa possible starting lineup:

Gianniotis; Frimpong, Arous, Becao, Corekci; Baldursson, Cafu; Ouanes, Diabate, Kahveci; Benedyczak

We say: Genclerbirligi 2-1 Kasimpasa

Having failed to win seven of their last 10 meetings between the two teams, Genclerbirligi know they have another tough challenge on their hands this weekend as they look to stay afloat.

Diyadin’s men will draw confidence from Kasimpasa’s away woes as they return to the Eryaman Stadium, where they have lost just three of their 13 games since the start of November, and we see them growing strong as the game progresses to snatch a narrow victory.

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