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

Title ambition meets European ambition at Papara Park on Sunday as Trabzonspor host Istanbul Basaksehir in a high-stakes Turkish Super Lig encounter.

With only a few matches remaining, the hosts remain firmly in the title race despite a minor setback last time out, while the visitors are chasing European qualification, albeit with slim margins for error.

Match preview

Trabzonspor come into this clash third in the standings with 64 points from 29 matches, four behind leaders Galatasaray with five games left to play.

After their impressive 2-1 win over Galatasaray, the Black Sea Storm had a golden opportunity to close the gap further following the leaders’ draw with Kocaelispor, but Fatih Tekke’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Alanyaspor.

While European qualification is almost secured — a significant improvement from last season — Trabzonspor will feel they missed a chance to apply real pressure at the top, especially given their excellent recent form.

They are unbeaten in their last seven league matches, winning six of those before the draw, and across all competitions, their unbeaten run now stretches to eight games.

That sequence includes a 4-2 Turkish Cup victory over Basaksehir last month, further strengthening their psychological edge heading into this encounter.

Historically, this fixture has been dominated by the hosts in recent years, with Trabzonspor winning each of their last six meetings against Basaksehir and remaining unbeaten in the last seven.

Basaksehir, meanwhile, arrive fifth with 47 points from 29 matches, still mathematically in the race for European qualification but facing an uphill task, sitting eight points behind fourth-placed Besiktas.

Their recent form has been inconsistent, with a mix of solid defensive displays and blunt attacking performances - goalless draws against Antalyaspor and Kocaelispor halted their momentum before they responded emphatically.

A 3-0 win over Genclerbirligi ended a three-match winless run and showcased their attacking potential, especially after a run of three games that included a heavy 3-0 defeat to Galatasaray.

On the road, Basaksehir have been relatively competitive, winning around half of their away matches this season, but recent trips have been less productive, failing to win against both Kocaelispor and Galatasaray.

They have also struggled historically in Trabzon, with their last win at this venue dating back to 2020, and since then they have managed just two draws alongside three defeats.

Trabzonspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Trabzonspor form (all competitions):

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Team News

Trabzonspor could be boosted by the return of Paul Onuachu, the league’s top scorer, who missed the last match.

In his absence, Felipe Augusto led the line but failed to score, while Umut Nayir is another option if Onuachu is not fully fit.

The hosts will be without Edin Visca, Ernest Muci and Arseniy Batagov due to injury, while Tim Jabol-Folcarelli is suspended.

Basaksehir have a relatively clean bill of health, with only Omer Sahiner unavailable due to suspension.

Eldor Shomurodov returned to form with a brace in the last match, moving closer to Onuachu in the scoring charts, while Bertug Yildirim impressed with a goal and an assist after stepping into the attack in place of Davie Selke.

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Onana; Pina, Nwaiwu, Savic, Eskihellac; Tufan, Oulai; Zubkov, Augusto, Nwakaeme; Onuachu

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Sengezer; Bulut, Duarte, Opoku, Operi; Kemen, Gunes; Sari, Shomurodov, Brnic; Yildrim

We say: Trabzonspor 2-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

With both sides chasing important objectives, this promises to be a competitive contest, but Trabzonspor's strong home form and recent dominance in this fixture give them a clear edge.

Basaksehir have enough quality to make it difficult, particularly on the counter-attack, but we expect the hosts to edge a tight encounter and take another step toward securing a top-three finish.

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