Preview: Gaziantep vs Fatih Karagumruk - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh off the back of picking up contrasting cup results in midweek, Gaziantep and Fatih Karagumruk return to action in the Super Lig when they square off at the Gaziantep Stadium on Sunday.

Having lost the last three meetings between the two teams, the Black-Reds will head into the weekend looking to get one over the home side and begin their push away from the doldrums.

Match preview

Gaziantep were denied a third win on the bounce in the Turkiye Kupasi on Wednesday as they suffered a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Fenerbahce when the two sides met at the Gaziantep Stadium.

Anthony Musaba, Sidiki Cherif, Nene Dorgeles and Archie Brown all found the back of the net in a five-star team display to send Fenerbahce into second place in the Group C standings, three points above Gaziantep in fourth place.

Their cup result was in keeping with their recent struggles in the Super Lig, where Gaziantep have failed to win 10 of their last 11 games, losing six and picking up four draws since November’s 3-0 victory over Kayserispor at the Kadir Has Stadium.

Breaching opposing defences has not been cause for concern for Burak Yilmaz’s men, who netted an impressive 30 goals in 24 league games, but their struggles have largely been on the other end, where they have shipped the division’s third-highest number of goals (40).

Gaziantep have won seven of their 24 Super Lig matches so far while losing nine and claiming eight draws to collect 29 points and sit ninth in the standings, nine points clear of 16th-placed Kasimpasa in the relegation zone.

On the other hand, Fatih Karagumruk secured their first win of the 2025/26 Turkiye Kupasi campaign in midweek when they edged out TFF 2. Lig outfit Fethiyespor at the Fethiye Ilce Stadium.

Twenty-year-old Baris Kalayci opened the scoring five minutes shy of the half-time break to put the visitors in front before January signing Abdul Kader Moussa Kone struck in the 47th minute to double the advantage.

Head coach Aleksandar Stanojevic will hope the cup victory can serve as a catalyst for a much-needed turnaround in the Super Lig, where Karagumruk sit rock-bottom in the standings and are leading relegation contenders, barely one year since gaining promotion from the second tier.

The Black-Reds journey to the Gaziantep Stadium without a win in 11 of their 12 league matches since late-November — losing eight and picking up three draws — with a narrow 1-0 victory over Antalyaspor on February 7 being the exception.

While Gaziantep could move within six points of safety with a win this weekend, results on their travels offer little room for optimism, as they have lost each of their last games on the road and currently hold the worst away record in the league, having managed just four points from 12 matches so far.

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

Gaziantep form (all competitions):

Fatih Karagumruk Turkish Super Lig form:

Fatih Karagumruk form (all competitions):

Team News

Gaziantep will have to cope without Polish midfielder Kasper Kozlowski, who is currently suspended due to accumulated number of yellow cards in the league.

On the injury front, Ali Ablak and French defender Salem M’Bakata are both recuperating from knee issues and will also sit out this weekend’s game.

Veteran midfielder Badou N'Diaye has been out of action since sustaining a severe injury in December and the 35-year-old is also out of contention for the home side.

As for Karagumruk, Stanojevic will be unable to name experienced forward Joao Camacho, who has been ruled out since November through injury, while Davide Biraschi is a major doubt, having missed the game against Fethiyespor last time out.

Turkish defender Anil Cinar will also sit out the trip to the Gaziantep Stadium through suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Trabzonspor on February 27.

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Bozan; Sanuc, Abena, Mujakic; Sangare, Ozcicek, Camara, Rodrigues; Gassama, Bayo, Lungoyi

Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:

Beklevic; Kurukalip, Kurucuk, Lichnovsky, Mladenovic; Kranevitter, Elmaz; Verde, Babicka, Larsson; Serginho

We say: Gaziantep 2-1 Fatih Karagumruk

Buoyed by their cup victory, Fatih Karagumruk will return to league action in high spirits as they look to heap more misery on the out-of-sorts hosts and begin their survival push. However, Gaziantep boast a superior squad on paper and we predict they will make the most of their home advantage to secure all three points.

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