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

Newly promoted Kocaelispor and Genclerbirligi will meet in the Turkish Super Lig for the first time since 2009 when they face off at the Yildiz Entegre Kocaeli Stadium on Friday evening.

The clash opens round 14 of the campaign and brings together two sides eager to bounce back to winning ways.

Match preview

Kocaelispor approach this fixture in buoyant spirits, having come through meetings with two of the league’s current top-five sides without defeat.

The standout result was the stunning 1-0 victory over league leaders Galatasaray — a shock few anticipated — followed by a hard-fought goalless draw away at Goztepe last weekend, with the international break separating the two matches.

Selcuk Inan has overseen a significant turnaround over the past six matchdays, collecting four wins and a draw, with their only setback a narrow 1-0 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir after conceding a late penalty.

The Gulf failed to win any of their opening seven matches (two draws, five defeats), yet the club kept faith with Inan, and their patience is being rewarded, with Kocaelispor now sitting 10th in the table on 15 points, six clear of the relegation zone.

Their resurgence has been built largely on strong home form, with the hosts winning their last three league games at Kocaeli and are unbeaten in five on their own turf (three wins, two draws), with their sole home defeat coming on the opening day against Samsunspor.

Last season, the sides met in the second tier, with each side winning on home soil – however, in the top flight, Kocaelispor are winless in their last six meetings with Genclerbirligi (two draws, four defeats).

Genclerbirligi will know that historical dominance means little here, especially given their unconvincing away record.

The Youth have lost five of their seven league matches on the road (one win, one draw), including a 3-2 defeat at Galatasaray last weekend.

Their most promising spell came between mid-September and mid-October, when they went four matches unbeaten (two wins, two draws) – since then, however, they have lost three of their last four outings, winning only once.

Volkan Demirel has taken charge of the last three matches (one win, two defeats) after replacing Huseyin Eroglu, though sole victory did lift the visitors two points above the bottom three — a buffer he will be desperate to maintain.

Kocaelispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Genclerbirligi Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Kocaelispor remain without Mateusz Wieteska, who continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury and is unlikely to feature again before the new year.

Bruno Petkovic also remains sidelined, while Rigoberto Rivas is still out with the injury that has kept him absent for the last three matches.

Defender Botond Balogh is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, leaving Anfernee Dijksteel as the most likely replacement in the starting XI.

Genclerbirligi will be without Thalisson Kelven, who received his second red card in three matches and is suspended.

Peter Etebo is still recovering from a muscle problem, while Emirhan Unal, Moussa Kyabou, Abdullah Sahindere and Ensar Kemaloglu continue their rehabilitation from long-term knee injuries.

Goalkeeper Gokhan Akkan has missed the last two matches through injury, and Ogulcan Ulgun is a doubt after being forced off in the first half against Galatasaray.

Kocaelispor possible starting lineup:

Jovanovic; Oguz, Djiksteel, Smolcic, Haidara; Show, Keita; Agyei, Linetty, Bingol; Dursun

Genclerbirligi possible starting lineup:

Velho; Pereira, Zuzek, Goutas, Hanousek; Dele-Bashiru; Gurpuz, Mimaroglu, Koita, Tongya; Niang

We say: Kocaelispor 2-1 Genclerbirligi

Kocaelispor’s home form and recent momentum make them deserved favourites, especially given their recent resilience against better opposition.

Genclerbirligi, by contrast, have struggled away from home and continue to battle injuries and inconsistency, while their defensive vulnerabilities are also difficult to overlook, having let in 20 goals.

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