Preview: Gaziantep vs Eyupspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Pushing for a spot in the top four of the Turkish Super Lig, Gaziantep will welcome down-on-their-luck Eyupspor to Gaziantep Stadium on Saturday.

The Falcons could make it five games unbeaten this weekend, while the visitors are hoping to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since August.

Match preview

Burak Yilmaz's Gaziantep finished 12th in the Turkish top flight in 2024-25, but their strong start to this campaign has them eyeing the European places at the moment.

The Falcons come into this clash full of confidence having lost just one of their last 12 matches - a 4-0 hammering at the hands of title-chasing Fenerbahce - in an impressive show of resilience that goes back to mid-August.

Most recently, Yilmaz's side took all three points with a dominant 3-0 triumph over struggling Kayserispor, courtesy of a brace from Mohamed Bayo following Alexandru Maxim's penalty-spot opener.

That victory has Gaziantep sixth in the table, where their tally of 22 points sees them just two shy of fourth-placed Samsunspor, who occupy the division's spot for entry into the Conference League qualifiers.

With their European dream in mind, fans of the Falcons will arrive at the stadium on Saturday expecting a positive result against yet another club from the bottom three, especially given that the hosts have won four, drawn two and lost just one of their home games in the last three months.

Meanwhile, Eyupspor narrowly missed out on making continental competition last term, and while they had hoped to kick on in 2025-26, their priority will be escaping the threat of relegation for the time being.

This weekend's visitors have endured a difficult season so far, but manager Orhan Ak will back himself to turn things around, though he has only been in charge for a little over a month since replacing Selcuk Sahin, who himself replaced Arda Turan in the summer.

Ak's initial impact led to a 2-0 win over Kasimpasa on October 20, but the team returned to losing form in the games that followed, suffering three consecutive defeats without scoring before last Saturday's 1-1 stalemate with Karagumruk.

That draw brought Eyupspor up to 16th in the Super Lig, and they now sit only two points behind Genclerbirligi, the first team above the drop zone.

However, while the visitors are within reach of safety, Ak will need to defy the club's shocking travelling record this season that has seen them lose five and draw just one of their six away games so far.

To make matters worse, Eyupspor have only scored once on the road this term, and the manager will be desperate to get his players firing this weekend.

Gaziantep Super Lig form:

Gaziantep form (all competitions):

Eyupspor Super Lig form:

Team News

Gaziantep will be without centre-back Arda Kizildag, who is sidelined after passing the threshold for suspension with another yellow card last weekend.

The Falcons are also missing midfielder Muhammet Taha Gunes and right-sided defender Nazim Sangare, both of whom are suspended due to betting violations.

In their absence, Semih Guler and Tayyip Talha Sanuc should start at centre-half, with Luis Perez and Kevin Rodrigues operating at full-back.

Elsewhere, Ali Mevran Ablak and Salem Mbakata both remain out with long-term knee injuries, while Myenty Abena and Kacper Kozlowski are doubts.

As for Eyupspor, centre-back Luccas Claro suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury last month, while right-back Calegari picked up a muscle injury this week and is expected to be out until mid-December.

With that in mind, Robin Yalcin and Emir Ortakaya are likely to line up at the heart of defence, flanked by the versatile Halil Akbunar and Nihad Mujakic given that left-back Umut Meras is also a doubt.

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Gorgen; Perez, Sanuc, Guler, Rodrigues; Kabasakal, Camara; Sorescu, Maxim, Lungoyi; Bayo

Eyupspor possible starting lineup:

Felipe; Akbunar, Yalcin, Ortakaya, Mujakic; Demirbay, Stepanenko; Gurler, Akbaba, Thiam; Bozok

We say: Gaziantep 1-0 Eyupspor

Gaziantep are in strong form ahead of Saturday's clash, and the chance of making the top four could serve as extra motivation to secure all three points.

Eyupspor have struggled throughout 2025-26 so far, but they have been particularly troubled on the road and look likely to fall to yet another defeat this weekend.