Preview: Istanbul Basaksehir vs Gaziantep - prediction, team news, lineups

Istanbul Basaksehir will host Gaziantep in a Turkish Super Lig fixture at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Monday, December 22, 2025, as both sides look to strengthen their league positions before the winter phase of the season.

The Grey Owls and the Sahinler meet with little separating them in mid-table, setting up a contest where momentum, discipline and efficiency could prove decisive in shaping the direction of their respective campaigns.

Match preview

Basaksehir come into this fixture with a mixed run of form, having won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six league matches in the 2025-26 season, but also suffering a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Turkiye Kupasi on Thursday.

Their most recent league results include a 2-0 away win over Samsunspor and a 1-1 home draw with Fenerbahce, illustrating both attacking capability and resilience against top opponents.

Earlier in their last six matches, Basaksehir secured a 3-1 victory away at Kasimpasa but suffered defeats at home to Trabzonspor and away to Genclerbirligi, highlighting an inconsistency that has characterised their campaign.

Prior to that run, Nuri Sahin’s men had also claimed comfortable away wins, including a 4-0 success at Antalyaspor, and registered a goalless draw away at Rizespor in October.

This mix of outcomes has left Basaksehir in the mid-table region of the Super Lig, with their ability to score goals clear but clean sheets harder to come by, making individual moments decisive in many of their recent matches.

Historical Super Lig data shows that Basaksehir have held a clear competitive edge over Gaziantep across league meetings, particularly in home fixtures, with their most recent encounter in April 2025 producing a 2-1 home victory.

Looking at the last six meetings between the clubs, Basaksehir have won four matches, drawn one and lost one, with those encounters seeing the home side score in five of the six matches, record three clean sheets, and win four of the last five league meetings against Gaziantep.

© Imago / Seskim Photo

Gaziantep have faced instability in the dugout, after manager Burak Yilmaz resigned following a 1-0 home defeat to Goztepe, but he has since returned after a meeting with club President Memik Yilmaz.

The Sahinler come into this match following back-to-back defeats in the domestic cup and league, part of a mixed sequence of results over their last six competitive outings, which includes two wins, two draws, and two defeats across Super Lig and cup play.

Their most recent result was a 5-2 defeat at Rizespor on Thursday, preceded by a 1-0 home loss to Goztepe, a 2-2 draw at Besiktas, a 2-0 cup win at Yalova, a 2-1 home defeat to Eyupspor, and a 3-0 away win at Kayserispor.

Gaziantep also drew 2-2 at home with Rizespor and were held to a goalless stalemate away at Alanyaspor, highlighting a pattern of scoring but also conceding goals.

Earlier matches in their run included a heavy 4-0 home loss to Fenerbahce and a season-highlight 3-2 home victory against Antalyaspor, underscoring both their attacking potential and defensive vulnerabilities.

Gaziantep’s head-to-head record against Basaksehir has been challenging, with fewer wins and limited success away from home, while their most emphatic recent victory came in November 2024, when they secured a 3-0 home win.

Across 18 competitive meetings, Gaziantep have managed just five wins and two draws, suffering defeats in the remaining 11 matches and conceding 10 while scoring five in their last six encounters.

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Gaziantep Turkish Super Lig form:

Gaziantep form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / Seskim Photo

Sahin will be without Cameroonian midfielder Olivier Kemen and Ivorian defender Christopher Operi, both currently in Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Yusuf Sari is still nursing an injury sustained while on international duty and is expected to miss this match, while Deniz Turuc and Miguel Crespo, who have both missed recent games, are also unlikely to feature on Monday.

With Kemen and Crespo unavailable, Basaksehir could turn to Umut Gunes in central midfield, while Omer Sahiner may continue at left-back in place of Operi, as he did against Galatasaray.

For Gaziantep, Yilmaz continues to manage several injury concerns, with four players currently sidelined at different stages of recovery.

Right-back Salem M’Bakata remains a long-term absentee after suffering a cruciate ligament tear on August 8, 2025, and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Winger Ali Mevran Ablak is also facing an extended spell on the sidelines due to a cruciate ligament tear sustained in the summer, having missed 19 matches so far with no confirmed return date as he continues rehabilitation.

Midfielder Badou Ndiaye is currently unavailable due to an unspecified injury picked up against Besiktas on December 8, 2025, while centre-back Myenty Abena is the most recent addition to the injury list with an unspecified issue but could return to the side on Monday.

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Bulut, Opotu, Duarte, Sahiner; Kaluzinski, Gunes, Harit, Fayzullaev; Da Costa, Shomurodov

Gaziantep possible starting lineup:

Gorgen; Perez, Guler, Kilzidag, Rodrigues; Ozciceck, Camara, Kozlowski; Sorescu, Boateng, Bayo

We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 Gaziantep

Basaksehir have dominated this fixture in recent years and will view this match as a prime opportunity to leapfrog their opponents with a victory.

Gaziantep’s ongoing off-field issues have clearly affected their performances, and with a poor historical record in this matchup, they appear vulnerable to another defeat at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium.

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