Preview: Istanbul Basaksehir vs Goztepe SK - prediction, team news, lineups

Sixth-placed Istanbul Basaksehir will host fifth-placed Goztepe SK at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Saturday, hoping to leapfrog the visitors in the Turkish Super Lig standings.

The Grey Owls sit on 39 points, three behind Goz Goz, but a victory would see them climb above the visitors thanks to their superior goal difference.

Match preview

As the season enters its decisive phase, Basaksehir will be eager to maintain their strong momentum in pursuit of European qualification, as over the last 10 league matches, only Galatasaray (25) have collected more points than Basaksehir’s impressive tally of 23.

Their 3-2 defeat to Besiktas last month remains their only loss across the last 11 league outings, and they responded well by securing consecutive victories over Alanyaspor (2-1) and Konyaspor (2-0).

However, the Grey Owls suffered disappointment in midweek when they exited the Turkish Cup following a 4-2 home defeat to Trabzonspor, ending their hopes of lifting silverware this season.

Attention now returns to league matters, where Basaksehir face an opponent who has caused them recent problems, having lost their last two meetings with Goztepe, falling 4-1 last season and 1-0 in the reverse fixture earlier in the current campaign.

Encouragingly for the hosts, both of those defeats came away from home, as the last time Basaksehir hosted this fixture, they produced a commanding 4-1 victory.

Goztepe’s overall record away at Basaksehir is modest, with just two wins in six visits, although one of those successes arrived as recently as 2022.

Last season saw both teams claim emphatic 4-1 home victories in this fixture, with Goz Goz’s win in April 2025 particularly significant as it ended an 11-match winless streak and sparked a revival.

Stanimir Stoilov’s side arrive on another difficult run – currently winless in their last four league matches, having drawn three and lost one during that stretch, with the most recent result a goalless home stalemate against Eyupspor – and will hope for a win to spark another turnaround.

However, more concerning is their lack of attacking output, having failed to score in each of those four games, with Goztepe having the lowest scoring tally among the top six, netting just 27 goals in 24 matches.

Ironically, their position is largely built on defensive excellence, as they boast the best defence in the division, conceding only 16 goals and keeping a league-high 14 clean sheets, but their blunt attack could threaten their hopes of finishing strongly.

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Goztepe SK Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Basaksehir will be without midfielder Olivier Kemen, who is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards.

Amine Harit remains sidelined after sustaining an injury against Alanyaspor, while Bertug Yildirim is also expected to miss out having sat out the last three matches.

Eldor Shomurodov has been the club’s standout performer in attack with 16 league goals, leaving him just two shy of the division’s top scorer.

Meanwhile, Davie Selke enters this contest in excellent form after scoring in four consecutive league matches, including a brace against Konyaspor.

Goztepe have very few injury concerns heading into this encounter, with veteran defender Ismail Koybasi the only confirmed absentee due to an unspecified injury.

Juan Santos and Janderson are expected to continue leading the line, although both forwards are currently enduring goal droughts as Goz Goz look to rediscover their scoring touch.

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Sahiner, Duarte, Opoku, Operi; Ergun, Gunes; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Sari; Selke

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:

Lis; Allan Godoi, Heliton, Bokele; Cherni, Miroshi, Dennis, Bayrak; Krastev; Janderson, Juan Santos

We say: Istanbul Basaksehir 1-0 Goztepe SK

Basaksehir enter this contest with stronger momentum and a more reliable attack, while Goztepe’s recent struggles in front of goal make it difficult to back the visitors.

Although the away side possess the league’s best defence, their inability to score in the last four matches is a major concern, and considering Shomurodov and Selke are in good form, the hosts should create enough chances to break through.

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