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

Trabzonspor return to Papara Park carrying the momentum of six consecutive victories across all competitions, seeking to make a definitive statement in the Turkish title race when they host league leaders Galatasaray on Saturday evening in a fixture that could reshape the destiny of this season’s Super Lig.

The Black Sea Storm sit four points behind Cimbom heading into this clash, although the leaders have played one game fewer than the chasing pack, meaning this encounter could significantly alter the margins in the title race.

Match preview

Trabzonspor head into Saturday’s high-stakes clash as the most in-form side in the Super Lig, having collected more points (15) from their last five matches than any other team in the division, and their most recent outing saw them claim a disciplined 1-0 victory over Eyupspor just before the international break.

Despite trailing Galatasaray by four points in the table, the Black Sea Storm have matched the league leaders across the last 20 league matches, with both teams collecting 46 points in that period, underlining that this contest is far from a formality for the visitors.

Under the increasingly impressive guidance of Fatih Tekke, Trabzonspor have undergone a remarkable transformation – when the manager first took charge, the club were hovering uncomfortably close to the relegation zone, yet he has since reshaped them into genuine title contenders, losing only three league matches all season and suffering just five defeats across all competitions.

Two of those losses came against Fenerbahce, while another arrived against Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup, meaning three of their five defeats have come against the Istanbul giants – a pattern Tekke will be desperate to break on Saturday.

The Black Sea Storm have also endured a difficult run against the Lions in recent years, failing to win any of the last nine meetings between the sides (2D, 7L), while they have also not beaten Galatasaray at Papara Park since 2018, losing three and drawing three of the six matches played there since.

However, the five consecutive league victories leading into this fixture represent Trabzonspor’s longest winning streak in the competition since the 2021-22 campaign, the season in which they last lifted the league title, and that run will provide them with the belief required to finally end their frustrating record against the visitors.

Galatasaray, meanwhile, arrive in Trabzon seeking a response after a bruising Champions League exit that saw them fall 4-1 on aggregate to Liverpool, with the last 16 second leg at Anfield turning into a 4-0 defeat, a result compounded by the loss of their most dangerous attacking player.

Victor Osimhen fractured his right forearm following a first-half collision with Ibrahima Konate and was unable to continue after the interval – the striker has since undergone surgery, forcing Okan Buruk to navigate the title race without his 19-goal talisman.

The Lions therefore travel to Trabzon without their most potent attacking weapon, carrying the emotional weight of their European elimination while facing a fervent home crowd eager to push Trabzonspor towards a title challenge with an intensity not heard at Papara Park since their last championship.

Nevertheless, Galatasaray can still draw confidence from their domestic form, having responded strongly with three consecutive Super Lig victories since their league defeat to Konyaspor in February – beating Istanbul Basaksehir 3-0, Besiktas 1-0 and Alanyaspor 3-1 – while also defeating the latter 2-1 in the Turkish Cup during the same period.

Trabzonspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Trabzonspor form (all competitions):

Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig form:

Galatasaray form (all competitions):

Team News

Trabzonspor will be without Christ Inao Oulai, who is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards.

Arseniy Batagov and Boran Baskan remain sidelined through injury, while long-serving forward Edin Visca is still recovering and is not expected to return until May.

At the heart of the Black Sea Storm’s impressive campaign is Paul Onuachu, the Nigerian striker enjoying one of the most prolific individual seasons the Super Lig has seen in recent years – with 21 goals in 24 league appearances, he sits comfortably at the top of the scoring charts and will be hoping to make his mark on Saturday after failing to score in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Galatasaray will be without Osimhen following his injury at Anfield, while Metehan Baltaci is also unavailable due to suspension.

With Osimhen absent, Mauro Icardi is expected to shoulder the attacking responsibility; the Argentine forward has scored 13 league goals this season and will be eager to add to that tally, having netted three times in his previous four league appearances against Trabzonspor.

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Onana; Tufan, Savic, Nwaiwu, Eskihellac; Nwaekeme, Yoksulu, Jabol-Folcarelli, Muci; Onuachu, Augusto

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:

Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs; Lemina, Torreira; Yilmaz, Sara, Lang; Icardi

We say: Trabzonspor 1-1 Galatasaray

The setting, the stakes and the momentum all point towards a Trabzonspor victory, with Papara Park at its most ferocious, Onuachu hunting his first goal against Galatasaray, and a five-match winning run generating exactly the kind of belief that topples champions.

Yet Galatasaray's experience on big occasions, their unbeaten run in this fixture, and the hardened resilience that Buruk's side have shown throughout a three-peat title campaign make them deeply difficult to beat even without their greatest weapon, which is why we are predicting a share of the spoils.

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