Preview: Kocaelispor vs Fenerbahce - prediction, team news, lineups

Fenerbahce will be eager to avoid another costly stumble in the Turkish Super Lig title race when they travel to face Kocaelispor on Monday evening.

The Yellow Canaries begin the round three points adrift of leaders Galatasaray, while their hosts sit comfortably in mid-table, still searching for consistency as they navigate life back in the top flight.

Match preview

After a good end to the first-half of the season, Kocaelispor have endured a frustrating start to 2026, failing to win any of their three competitive outings so far.

Selcuk Inan’s side exited the Turkish Cup with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Gaziantep, before suffering a 2-1 league loss at Trabzonspor and settling for a goalless draw away at Samsunspor last time out.

Despite that downturn, the Gulf can take encouragement from their league position, sitting ninth, with an eight-point cushion over the relegation zone, laying solid foundations in their first season back in the Super Lig.

Nevertheless, Inan will be keen to halt this dip before it begins to undermine their healthy standing but that task is unlikely to be straightforward.

Fenerbahce represent a daunting challenge, as Kocaelispor have not beaten the Istanbul giants since the turn of the millennium and are currently on a 13-match winless run in this fixture, losing eight and drawing five.

A 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture back in August extended that sequence, although this will be their first home meeting with the Yellow Canaries since a 1-1 draw here in 2009.

For Fenerbahce, the pressure is mounting, and their 1-1 draw at home to Goztepe last weekend proved costly, allowing Galatasaray to open up a three-point gap at the summit.

A subsequent 1-1 stalemate with FCSB in the Europa League only added to the frustration, though continental matters will briefly be put aside as Domenico Tedesco’s side refocus on domestic priorities.

Another draw could seriously damage their title ambitions, making this a must-win encounter, but encouragingly for the visitors, their away form has been excellent, as they are unbeaten in 12 matches on the road across all competitions, winning eight and drawing four, while they have also scored exactly three goals in each of their last two away league games.

Fenerbahce remain the only unbeaten side in the Super Lig this season (12W, 7D), but that statistic risks becoming irrelevant if too many matches continue to end level, with only three teams recording more draws than them so far.

Kocaelispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Kocaelispor form (all competitions):

Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:

Fenerbahce form (all competitions):

Team News

Kocaelispor will again be without Mateusz Wieteska, who continues his recovery from a cruciate knee injury.

Goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanovic remains a doubt, while Tayfur Bingol is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards.

The hosts have been relatively quiet in the winter transfer window, with Manchester City Under-21 midfielder Mahamadou Susoho their sole addition.

Fenerbahce will be missing defensive duo Levent Mercan and Archie Brown through injury, while Edson Alvarez is doubtful with an ankle problem and Jhon Duran is nursing a thigh issue.

January arrivals Matteo Guendouzi and Anthony Musaba are both expected to feature prominently once again.

Kocaelispor possible starting lineup:

Degirmenci; Oguz, Dijksteel, Smolcic, Haidara; Linetty, Keita; Churlinov, Rivas, Agyei; Petkovic

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Muldur, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Semedo; Guendouzi, Yuksek; Musaba, Asensio, Nene; Talisca

We say: Kocaelispor 1-2 Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce should approach this fixture with urgency given the growing pressure in the title race, and their strong away form and long-standing dominance over Kocaelispor make them clear favourites, even if recent draws have stalled momentum.

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