Preview: Trabzonspor vs Fatih Karagumruk - prediction, team news, lineups

European hopefuls Trabzonspor will look to solidify their position in the standings when they welcome Fatih Karagumruk to Papara Park on Friday in a round 24 Super Lig encounter.

The hosts will go out in search of successive league wins for the first time since January as they bid to further cement their place at the top end of the table, while the away side will be looking for their fourth victory of the campaign as they look to avoid an immediate return to the second tier.

Match preview

After a narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of Fenerbahce in gameweek 22, a loss which ended a four-game unbeaten league run (W3, D1) and inflicted their first reverse of the year, Fatih Tekke’s team provided the perfect response last time out.

Although they did not enjoy the best of starts against Gaziantep last weekend, going behind after only 22 minutes of action, two quick-fire goals courtesy of Felipe Augusto and red-hot Paul Onuachu secured all three points.

That victory leaves them third in the table with 48 points; they are five points behind Fenerbahce, who currently hold the second UEFA Champions League spot, and with 11 matches remaining on the calendar, the Claret-Blues will have their sights set on finishing in the top two spots at the end of the season.

While they have been better on away days with eight wins in 12 matches, they also have decent home form, having secured six triumphs from 11 fixtures; they should be on course for another victory on Friday.

They have also enjoyed good fortune against the visiting side, having recorded an impressive six-game unbeaten run, which includes five wins and a draw across all fixtures.

Indeed, the odds are stacked against Karagumruk as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points from safety, and their worries could be worsened with a trip to Trabzon.

At the turn of the year, the club made a managerial change with Aleksandar Stanojevic appointed to take the reins on New Year’s Day, but it has not brought about the turnaround they had hoped for.

Stanojevic's start to his reign was not pleasant, with his team suffering three straight defeats before they earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Antalyaspor in round 21.

That outcome provided some respite for the team and their fans, but they could not capitalise on that rare victory to stage a resurgence, losing their next game 3-2 to Kasimpasa before a barren draw against Samsunspor.

Considering their form away from home, the Black-Red will have their hands full on Friday, as they have only managed one league success on the road all season (D1, L9), and they remain winless in their last nine outings on their travels.

Trabzonspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Trabzonspor form (all competitions):

Fatih Karagumruk Turkish Super Lig form:

Fatih Karagumruk form (all competitions):

Team News

Trabzonspor will be without the services of Oleksandr Zubkov, who has missed the last four matches since injuring a muscle against Antalyaspor in January, and the Ukrainian is ruled out of this encounter.

Joining Zubkov on the sidelines is Bosnian Edin Visca, who has not featured for the club since he suffered a foot injury against Istanbul Basaksehir in November.

Tim Jabol-Folcarelli is also out with an unspecified injury, and as such, he is not expected to be involved in the fixture.

Karagumruk will arrive at Papara Park with a few absentees due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.

Baris Kalayci will not be part of their travel plans, and he is suspended for Friday’s contest due to the accumulation of yellow cards.

Joao Camacho and Daniel Johnson have fitness issues and are not expected to make the cut for this fixture.

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Onana; Nwaiwu, Savic, Batagov; Pina, Inao Oulai, Yokuslu, Eskihellac; Muci, Felipe Augusto, Onuachu

Fatih Karagumruk possible starting lineup:

Grbic; Mladenovic, Lichnovsky, Biraschi, Esgaio; Elmaz, Kranevitter; Babicka, Ozcan, Verde; Larsson

We say: Trabzonspor 2-0 Fatih Karagumruk

On paper, this appears to be one of the easiest fixtures for Trabzonspor, and considering the current form of both sides, the hosts should claim a routine 2-0 win on Friday.

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