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

Trabzonspor will aim to kick off their 2025-26 Turkish Super Lig campaign with a win when they host newly-promoted Kocaelispor at Papara Park on Monday.

The Black Sea Storm will be eager to avoid a repeat of last season’s slow start, when they went eight games without a win across all competitions.

Match preview

After finishing third in 2023-24, Trabzonspor were tipped to challenge the top two last season, but things did not go as planned, and they had to settle for seventh place.

The Black Sea Storm opened the league campaign with five straight draws, while also failing to win any of their three Europa and Conference League qualifying matches.

Despite this poor run, Senol Gunes kept his job, but by March 2025, with the team sitting 11th in the Super Lig, he was dismissed and replaced by Fatih Tekke.

Under Tekke, Trabzonspor played 14 matches in all competitions, losing just four and winning half of them, an improvement that carried the team to the Turkish Cup final, where they lost 3-0 to Galatasaray, ultimately missing out on European football.

Determined to start strong this season, Trabzonspor have been active in the transfer market, signing four players, including the permanent return of former loanee Paul Onuachu, who scored 17 goals in 25 appearances in 2023-24.

Pre-season form has been encouraging, with Tekke’s men unbeaten in their last three matches, two wins and a draw, after starting with a draw and a defeat in their first two friendlies.

Kocaelispor have been on the brink of promotion in recent seasons and finally sealed their return to the top flight at the end of last campaign.

The Gulf clinched promotion with three games to spare in the 2024-25 season, marking their first Super Lig appearance in 16 years.

Last season began under Ertugrul Saglam, but he resigned in December 2024 and was replaced by Ismet Tasdemir – this summer, Tasdemir moved to relegated Gaziantep, while Selcuk Inan took over at Kocaelispor.

The newcomers have been busy ahead of their return, signing nine players and delivering strong pre-season performances, with three wins and a draw in four friendlies.

This will be the first meeting between both sides since the 2008-09 season when Kocaelispor lost both legs of their Super Lig meetings against Trabzonspor.

Trabzonspor form (all competitions):

Kocaelispor form (all competitions):

Team News

Trabzonspor will hope Onuachu’s permanent arrival boosts their attack, while they have also added Cercle Brugge forward Felipe Augusto and Rennes winger Kazeem Olaigbe.

Right-back Wagner Pina joined from Estoril, replacing Pedro Malheiro, who left for Al-Wasl in the UAE.

Kocaelispor have reinforced heavily, signing former Middlesbrough right-back Anfernee Dijksteel and Dinamo Zagreb striker Bruno Petkovic on free transfers.

They have also brought in center-back Mateusz Wieteska on loan from Cagliari and midfielder Show from Maccabi Haifa.

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:

Colak; Boshluk, Saatci, Malkocoglu; Pina, Tufan, Zabol-Folkarelli, Baskhan; Zubkov, Nwakaeme, Sikan

Kocaelispor possible starting lineup:

Degirmenci; Cinan, Aidara, Appindangoye, Oguz; Mendes, Celik, Vukovic, Yalcin, Gedik; Petkovic

We say: Trabzonspor 2-0 Kocaelispor

Trabzonspor will be aiming for a strong start, and with the hosts bolstering their attack, they are the favourites on paper against a Kocaelispor that will have to adapt to the demands of the top flight, having been away for over a decade and a half.

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