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

Galatasaray will head to the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu on Saturday evening, where they will face Samsunspor knowing that a win would seal the Turkish Super Lig title for a fourth consecutive year.

The Lions are seven points ahead of second-placed Fenerbahce with three matches left to play, and if they maintain that gap by the end of this round, they will be mathematically out of reach for their pursuers.

Match preview

It has been a rollercoaster campaign for Galatasaray, as they have had to resist sustained pressure from title challengers Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor while also navigating a dip in form during the second half of the season.

Their hopes of winning multiple trophies faded in that period, as they were knocked out by Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 and eliminated from the Turkish Cup by Genclerbirligi last week.

However, Okan Buruk’s side were never going to let the league title slip away, and they delivered a statement performance against Fenerbahce last time out in front of a roaring RAMS Park crowd, securing a 3-0 victory in the intercontinental derby to move closer to glory.

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen once again rose to the occasion, opening the scoring five minutes before the break, while Baris Alper Yilmaz converted from the penalty spot in the second half to make it 2-0, before Lucas Torreira added a third to complete a dominant display.

Galatasaray remain the only team in Super Lig history to win four consecutive titles, achieving that feat between 1997 and 2000 under Fatih Terim, and now they stand on the brink of repeating that historic achievement as they close in on a 26th league crown.

The Lions will be confident of getting the job done against Samsunspor, given their dominance in this fixture, having won the last nine meetings, including their last four visits to this ground, where they have kept clean sheets in the last two.

Samsunspor, meanwhile, have relatively little at stake, though they can still cling to a faint hope of finishing as high as fifth, which could bring European qualification depending on outcomes involving Trabzonspor or Besiktas in the Turkish Cup.

Thorsten Fink’s side are currently seventh with 45 points, six behind fifth place with three matches remaining, but their run-in is far from straightforward, as they still have to face Istanbul Basaksehir and Goztepe, both of whom are also chasing European spots.

Regardless of how it ends, this has already been a historic campaign for the Red Lightning, who featured in the UEFA Conference League and enjoyed a memorable run before being knocked out by Rayo Vallecano in the round of 16.

They head into this clash on a three-match winning streak, including a 3-2 triumph at Alanyaspor last time out, and will be eager to make their mark on the title race, though their record against the league’s top sides offers little encouragement.

Samsunspor have failed to win any of their seven combined meetings against the top three this season, drawing three and losing four, including a 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the reverse fixture.

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor form (all competitions):

Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:

Galatasaray form (all competitions):

Team News

Samsunspor will remain without forward Jaures Assoumou, who is sidelined with a knee injury, while defender Bedirhan Cetin is also out with a similar issue.

Experienced midfielder Emre Kilinc has missed the last two matches and is expected to be unavailable again, while Celil Yuksel remains a doubt.

Galatasaray could once again be without 22-year-old midfielder Yaser Asprilla, who has missed the last three matches, while defender Metehan Baltaci remains suspended.

The Lions will also be without first-choice goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who will be a significant absence, though backup Gunay Guvenc will be expected to step in.

Osimhen will be looking to add to his 13 league goals as he aims to guide the visitors to another title, capping off an impressive campaign despite injury setbacks.

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Egribayat; Mendes, Cift, Borevkovic, Gonul; Ntcham, Kayan; Diabate, Holse, Tasvan; Marius

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:

Guvenc; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Lemina; Sane, Akgun, Yilmaz; Osimhen

We say: Samsunspor 0-2 Galatasaray

Galatasaray appear to hold all the advantages heading into this clash, from their strong record in the fixture to the momentum they carry into the game.

While Samsunspor have put together an impressive run of results before this game, the visitors’ superior quality and title-driven determination should ultimately prove decisive.

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