Gaziantep will be aiming to secure their second consecutive win in the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig when they host Samsunspor at Gaziantep Stadium on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the visitors are seeking their first points of the season after a home defeat against Besiktas in their opening match.
Match preview
© Imago
Gaziantep began their sixth successive season in the Turkish Super Lig with a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Bodrumspor, as a 97th-minute goal from Enric Saborit secured the win despite playing with 10 men from the 53rd minute onwards following Quentin Daubin's red card.
The Falcons returned to the top flight in the 2019-20 season, and have since established themselves as a mid-table side, finishing eighth, ninth and 15th in subsequent seasons.
After withdrawing from the 2022-23 season due to the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, they were permitted to re-enter for the 2023-24 season, when they finished 11th.
Selcuk Inan will be hoping his side can build on their opening-day victory as they play their first home game of the new campaign against an opponent they have not lost to since 2015.
Gaziantep struggled on home soil last season, accumulating just 24 points from a possible 57, resulting in the fourth-worst home record in the league – a situation Inan will be keen to avoid this term.
Samsunspor occupied the bottom of the Super Lig table until Markus Gisdol replaced Huseyin Eroglu as manager in late September 2023, guiding the Samsun-based club to 13th in the table, four places above the relegation zone.
Three points separated the Red Lightning from the first relegated side, a situation they will be eager to avoid this season, but a 2-0 home defeat against Besiktas on the opening day means they must improve to achieve this.
Samsunspor, who were the second-worst away side last season with eight points from 19 matches, will hope to fare better and have an opportunity to make a statement when they visit Gaziantep.
However, their last victory away at Gaziantep came in 2015 when both teams were in the second division, and they have since made the trip four times across the top two divisions, losing three times and drawing once.
Team News
Gaziantep will go into this match with just one absentee – midfielder Daubin, who is serving a ban after being sent off in the previous game.
Turkish midfielder Furkan Soyalp could replace him in the starting XI, while Kenan Kodro is expected to lead the attack once again.
Samsunspor will still be without Emre Kilinic, who is recovering from a broken jaw and not expected back until the end of the month.
With Samsun yet to score a goal this season, all eyes will be on Marius Mouandilmadji, who is expected to lead the line again.
Gaziantep possible starting lineup:
Dioudis; M'Bakata, Kizildag, Ersoy, Artan; Maxim, Soyalp, Kozlowski; Eskihellac, Kodro, Mandouki
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Yvaru, Satka, Drongelen, Bola; Bennasser; Schindler, Holse, Ntcham, Muja; Mouandilmadji
We say: Gaziantep 1-1 Samsunspor
Samsunspor were all bark and no bite in their last match, creating good scoring opportunities but ultimately failing to convert – meanwhile, Gaziantep scraped a victory in their league opener, demonstrating their resilience.
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