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

Kocaelispor host Samsunspor at Turka Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu on Sunday evening in round four of the Turkish Super Lig season between two sides who have taken markedly different paths through the opening month.

Selcuk Inan's side sit sixth with six points from three matches, while Thorsten Fink's team arrive on four points having lost their most recent outing at home to Fenerbahce.

Match preview

Kocaelispor opened the season with a defeat, losing to Istanbul Basaksehir on matchday one, but they have since responded with successive wins, beating Amed 2-0 at home on matchday two and then coming from behind to win 2-1 away at Konyaspor on matchday three.

The Gulf had to make a comeback in the game thanks to second-half goals from Massadio Haidara and Metehan Altunbas after Konyaspor had gone ahead through a Tanguy Zoukrou own goal, with the Konya side also reduced to 10 men through an early second-half red card for Enis Bardhi.

Inan's side have scored four goals and conceded three across their opening three matches, while their two victories have lifted them into the top six ahead of Sunday's clash.

The Kocaeli side are winless in their last three meetings with Samsunspor, losing two and drawing one, with their home fixture last season ending in a 1-0 loss for the Gulf.

However, the hosts have already ended a five-match winless streak at home dating back to last season by beating Amed while keeping a clean sheet in their first home game of the campaign, and they will now have the opportunity to win back-to-back home games for the first time since November 2025, when they won four in a row.

Samsunspor, for their part, endured a mixed start to the campaign, drawing 3-3 at home to Goztepe on matchday one before winning 2-0 away at Caykur Rizespor on matchday two through goals from Joe Mendes and Fatih Kaya.

That victory in Rize was followed by a setback, however, as the Red Lightning were beaten 2-0 at home by Fenerbahce on matchday three, a result that left Fink's side on four points with five goals scored and five conceded from their opening three fixtures.

Samsunspor will hope for an immediate bounce-back after that defeat, with their away success at Rizespor offering encouragement ahead of another road fixture.

In addition, the Samsun side have enjoyed their trips to Kocaeli, winning five of their last six across the Super Lig and the TFF 1. Lig, a pattern that serves as a good omen heading into Sunday's clash.

Kocaelispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Kocaelispor form (all competitions):

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Kocaelispor are expected to be without Bruno Petkovic and Aleksandar Jovanovic because of injuries, while Tayfur Bingol and Rigoberto Rivas have not featured since matchday one.

Berkan Kutlu should retain his place in midfield after his influential opening weeks, while Haidara and Altunbas are candidates to continue after scoring against Konyaspor.

Samsunspor have a sizeable injury list, with Fatih Kaya, Marius Mouandilmadji, Tanguy Coulibaly, Elayis Tavsan and Jaures Assoumou among those listed as unavailable, while Afonso Sousa, Yunus Cift and Igor Drapinski have also been dealing with injuries.

Fink may therefore have to rely on a slightly altered attacking combination, with Celil Yuksel and Emre Kilinc among the players expected to carry greater creative responsibility.

Kocaelispor possible starting lineup:

Jovanovic; Dijksteel, Zoukrou, Maglica, Haidara; Susoho, Show, Kutlu; Sousa, Agyei, Baku

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Mendes, Drapinski, Guarino, Tomasson; Kayan, Yuksel, Watt; Kilinc, Sekongo, Jarju