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

Gaziantep welcome Samsunspor to the Gaziantep Stadium on Saturday afternoon, aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the Turkish Super Lig.

The Falcons showed their grit at Papara Park last time out, grinding out a 1-1 draw against Trabzonspor to stretch their streak to four league games without defeat.

Match preview

The appointment of Burak Yilmaz has sparked a turnaround for Gaziantep, who looked lost after back-to-back defeats at the start of the season.

Since then, they have collected 10 points from a possible 12, climbing to seventh in the standings despite still carrying a negative goal difference, with six of their 10 goals conceded coming in those first two losses.

Against Trabzonspor, Gaziantep showcased their resilience, surviving 27 shots – including six on target – while converting their only effort on goal, and that doggedness will again be tested when they face Samsunspor, a side who did the double over them last season and they have beaten just once in the last four meetings.

The Falcons are also winless in their last two home league matches against the visiting side, so overcoming that mental block will be key if they want to secure maximum points.

Samsunspor, meanwhile, head into this clash looking to make it three wins in a row against Gaziantep, driving home their dominance over the hosts.

The Red Lightning snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fatih Karagumruk last weekend, with summer signing Anthony Musaba grabbing the decisive goal deep into stoppage time.

It was a much-needed boost for Thomas Reis, whose side had endured five matches without victory across all competitions, including three league games where they picked up just two points.

Despite their poor form, Samsunspor remain very much in the mix near the top, sitting just one point off Goztepe and Fenerbahce, but to stay with that chasing pack, they will see this trip to Gaziantep as a crucial chance to keep their momentum alive.

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Emmanuel Boateng remains out for Gaziantep with a hamstring problem and is targeting a mid-October return, while Salem Mbakata has been ruled out for the season with a serious cruciate ligament injury.

Ali Mevran Ablak is also recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and is unlikely to return before early April 2026.

The Falcons have shared the goals evenly, having eight different scorers with one goal each so far, but loan signing Yusuf Kabadayi will hope to be the first to reach two goals when he leads the attack on Saturday.

Samsunspor remain without midfielder Soner Aydogdu and winger Emre Kilinc, who suffered a muscle problem and broken hand, respectively, while centre-back Bedirhan Cetin is also sidelined.

New signing Cherif Ndiaye scored on his debut last time out, and he might retain his starting spot in attack, which would mean Marius Mouandilmadji settles for another bench role.

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Bozan; Perez, Abena, Sanuc, Rodrigues; Kabasakal, Kabasakal, Maxim; Sorescu, Kabadayi, Kozlowski

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Van Drongelen, Tomasson; Cift; Musaba, Holse, Ntcham, Coulibaly; Ndiaye

We say: Gaziantep 1-1 Samsunspor

Gaziantep have shown a knack for grinding out results under Yilmaz, while Samsunspor will carry confidence from their dramatic win over Karagumruk.

With both sides eager to maintain their momentum and a history of close battles between them, neither is likely to give much away, making a draw the likely outcome.

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