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

Genclerbirligi will look to carry their recent momentum into the new year when they welcome Samsunspor to the Eryaman Stadium on Sunday for their first Turkish Super Lig fixture of 2026.

Despite being unsettled by an abrupt managerial change last month, the Ankara outfit are currently enjoying a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions and will fancy their chances of extending it against a visiting side struggling for consistency.

Match preview

Genclerbirligi endured a difficult reintroduction to the top flight, losing their opening five matches and winning just twice in their first 10 league outings, a poor run that brought an end to Huseyin Eroglu’s tenure and prompted the appointment of Volkan Demirel.

The former Turkey international also found the going tough initially, suffering three defeats in his first four games, but eventually steadied the ship, guiding the club up to 14th place and away from immediate relegation danger – however, stability was again disrupted when Demirel resigned following a change in club presidency.

After Ozcan Bizati took temporary charge for one league match, Metin Diyadin returned for a third spell at the club, and the early signs have been encouraging, with Genclerbirligi unbeaten in four matches under Diyadin, recording one draw and three wins, the latest a 1-0 victory over Antalyaspor in the Turkish Cup on Wednesday, which marked their first competitive outing of 2026.

Extending that run will not be straightforward, though, given the historical context of this fixture, with the hosts not beating Samsunspor at any level since 2004, failing to do so in 11 meetings since.

In seven Super Lig encounters during that spell, they have drawn three and lost four, including a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture back in August.

Samsunspor, meanwhile, have enjoyed considerable success in this matchup over the years, winning seven of the meetings since their last defeat nearly two decades ago, including two victories in the second tier, but that past dominance offers little comfort heading into Sunday’s clash.

Thomas Reis’s side arrive in Ankara in poor league form, winless in their last five Super Lig matches (2D, 3L) and having lost the last three in succession, failing to score in their previous two league outings and have managed just two wins from their last 11 matches across all competitions (2W, 3D, 6L).

The Red Lightning have already been in action twice this year, losing 2-0 to Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Cup semi-final before responding with a comprehensive 6-2 victory over lower-tier Aliaga in the Turkish Cup on Wednesday, a win that ended a worrying run away from home, where they had failed to win five of their previous six matches in all competitions.

Defensive frailties remain a concern, however, with Samsunspor without a clean sheet in 11 consecutive matches, conceding 20 goals in that run – an average of 1.82 per game, a record that will be tested against a Genclerbirligi side that has scored eight goals in their last three matches.

Genclerbirligi Turkish Super Lig form:

Genclerbirligi form (all competitions):

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Genclerbirligi are set to be without Abdullah Sahindere, Moussa Kyabou and Emirhan Unal, all sidelined with knee injuries.

Gokhan Akkan and Peter Etebo also remain unavailable as they continue their recoveries, while Elias Durmaz is suspended.

Franco Tongya has been a key attacking outlet for the hosts, leading the team for shots on target per match (0.9), and he was among the goalscorers in the dramatic 4-3 win over Trabzonspor in their last league fixture.

Samsunspor, meanwhile, will be without Cetin Bedirhan and Tanguy Coulibaly, who are both nursing knee injuries, while Afonso Sousa is ruled out with an ankle problem.

Olivier Ntcham is also sidelined, and Cherif Ndiaye is away on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The visitors have been active in the transfer market, bringing in winger Elayis Tavsan from Verona and goalkeeper Irfan Can Egribayat from Fenerbahce, while Anthony Musaba has departed in the opposite direction.

Genclerbirligi possible starting lineup:

Velho; Pereira, Goutas, Zuzek, Kelven; Dele-Bashiru; Gurpuz, Ulgun, Tongya, Mimaroglu; Koita

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Yavru, Van Drongelen, Satka, Tomasson; Makoumbu; Yuksel, Holse, Cift, Ceesay; Marius

We say: Genclerbirligi 2-1 Samsunspor

Genclerbirligi’s form and Samsunspor’s struggles makes this a far more balanced contest than past meetings suggest, as the home side’s recent unbeaten run and improved attacking output should trouble the visitors who are low on confidence and defensively vulnerable.

While the visitors’ historical dominance cannot be ignored, current form points towards the hosts edging the contest, with the hosts well placed to claim at least a point and potentially end their long wait for a win in this fixture.

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