Preview: Samsunspor vs Istanbul Basaksehir - prediction, team news, lineups

Samsunspor and Istanbul Basaksehir meet in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday evening, with the sides separated by three positions and eight points in the standings.

The Red Lightning fell to a 2-1 defeat in the Conference League during the week, while the Grey Owls claimed a 1-1 draw at home to Fenerbahce in league action. 

Match preview

Despite facing a transfer ban during the 2024-25 season, Samsunspor enjoyed a great season last year, finishing third and securing UEFA Europa League qualification for the first time in the club's history. 

After failing to come through a Europa League playoff round at the start of the season, Thomas Reis's side dropped into the UEFA Conference League, where they currently sit fifth with 10 points. 

In their latest European outing, Samsunspor made the perfect start by scoring inside four minutes, only for AEK Athens to hit back with two second-half goals to hand them their first Conference League defeat of the season. 

Balancing domestic and European football has proven to be challenging, and their league form has dipped as a result, with the Red Lightning now sixth on 25 points and eight points off the Europa League positions.

Their most recent league defeat would have been particularly painful, as Victor Osimhen struck in the 92nd minute to deny them a well-earned point in a 3-2 loss to Galatasaray.

© Imago

As for the visitors Istanbul Basaksehir, they have started the season poorly under Nuri Sahin after attempting to build on their fifth-place finish last season. 

Playing 15 league games, Istanbul have won four, drawn five and lost six, leaving them ninth on 17 points. 

With solely league action to focus on, unlike their opponents, their inconsistent start to the season means they are currently nine points off the European places, something they narrowly missed out on in the 2024-25 campaign.

Their away form at the moment is keeping them in contention of recovering, but their home form remains a concern. 

Sahin's side have picked up just seven points in seven home league games, something that will need to improve sooner rather than later if they are to get their season back on track. 

The last six meetings between the two sides have produced 12 goals, with Istanbul Basaksehir winning the most recent encounter 4-0. 

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Samsunspor form (all competitions):

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

© Imago / IMAGO / Action Plus

Samsunspor appear to have avoided any fresh injuries from their midweek Conference League fixture, though Reis may still consider rotation due to their congested schedule. 

Joe Mendes remains unavailable as he continues to serve a three-match suspension following his red card against Alanyaspor, while Celil Yuksel is still banned for five league matchdays due to his involvement in a betting scandal. 

The Red Lightning will also be without long-term absentees Bedirhan Cetin, Tanguy Coulibaly and Afonso Sousa. 

Lubomir Satka returned to the squad for the first time since picking up an injury on international duty with Slovakia and could start in the league for the first time in over a month. 

As for Istanbul, they also appear to have come away from their last game with no further injuries but will still remain without first-team players. 

Yusuf Sari picked up an injury while away on international duty and is expected to miss out here, while Deniz Turuc and Onur Bulut, who have both missed the last few games, are also unlikely to feature on Sunday. 

Jerome Opoku should return to the matchday squad after a yellow-card limit meant he was suspended for their latest league match. 

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Drongelen, Tomasson; Makoumbou; Kilinc, Holse, Ntcham, Musaba; Ndiaye

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Ebosele, Duarte, Ba, Operi; Yildirim, Kemen, Gunes, Harit; Da Costa, Shomurodov

We say: Samsunspor 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

With just two days of rest since their last game, Samsunspor may feel the effects of the quick turnaround.

Both teams have shown flashes of quality in recent weeks but their forms remains inconsistent. With that said, we expect a tight and cagey contest, with both sides ultimately sharing the points. 

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