Preview: Gaziantep vs Çorum Belediyespor - prediction, team news, lineups

Gaziantep will look to return to winning ways when they host Corum Belediyespor at Gaziantep Buyuksehir Stadyumu in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

The sides are separated by just one point and one place after six league matches, and this will be their first-ever meeting.

Match preview

Gaziantep have taken eight points from their opening six league matches, but their latest outing ended in a 2-0 defeat away to Kocaelispor just before the international break.

It was their second loss of the season and halted a two-match unbeaten run for Orhan Ak's side, who had previously held Fenerbahce to a goalless draw after recording a 4-2 victory away to Goztepe.

The Falcons have followed the same pattern in their last three games as they did in their opening three matches, recording a win, a draw and a defeat in each sequence, and will now hope to begin another run with a victory following their recent setback.

However, their home record makes for concerning reading, with Gaziantep losing 2-1 to Caykur Rizespor between draws against Fenerbahce and Alanyaspor, leaving them without a home victory in their three matches at this ground.

Another issue Ak will look to address quickly is their recent lack of goals, having failed to score in their last two matches after netting seven across their opening four.

© Imago / Seskim Photo

Corum arrive after a similarly uneven run, beating Eyupspor 3-0 before producing one of the most striking results of the early season with a 5-1 victory away to Samsunspor; however, they followed those wins with a 2-1 home defeat to Alanyaspor.

Before that upturn, they had gone without a victory in their opening three matches, which included an encouraging 2-2 opening-day draw against champions Galatasaray before a 1-0 home defeat to Kasimpasa and a 6-2 loss away to Besiktas exposed their defensive vulnerabilities.

Corum have established themselves as one of the most entertaining teams in the Super Lig so far, with only one of their matches producing just one goal, while only four teams have scored more than the 13 they have managed.

The Red Lightnings will hope to outscore their hosts, who have struggled to find the net consistently, but the challenge will also be defensive, with only three teams having conceded more goals than Corum.

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

Çorum Belediyespor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

© Imago / Seksim Photo

Gaziantep midfielder Fuat Bavuk is a confirmed injury concern and is expected to remain sidelined with a thigh problem, while Ali Kalin and Nazim Sangare are hoping to pass fitness tests ahead of the match.

Halil Dervisoglu has found the net just once this season and will look to improve that record as he leads the attack, while summer signing Ulrich Meleke is expected to provide protection in midfield.

Corum have no reported injury concerns heading into this clash, leaving Burak Yilmaz with plenty of options to choose from.

The team's leading scorer, Jesus Ramirez, has netted four goals and will hope to make the difference in attack, while Alexandros Kyziridis will look to provide the creative spark.

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Tobiasz; Perez, Kizildag, Abena, Calhanoglu; Meleke; Sorescu, Gidado, Kozlowski, Maxim; Dervisoglu

Çorum Belediyespor possible starting lineup:

Felipe; Sazdagi, Penetrai, Smolcic, Borza; Ramadani; Under, Diomande, Fredy, Kyziridis; Ramirez

We say: Gaziantep 1-2 Çorum Belediyespor

Corum have shown that they can score against vulnerable defences, although questions remain about their ability to contain an organised attack.

Gaziantep, meanwhile, have struggled for goals at home, which is why we expect the visitors to edge this encounter.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.