Preview: Goztepe SK vs. Trabzonspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Turkish Super Lig leaders Trabzonspor will continue their search for a first championship title since 1983-84 when they travel to face Goztepe SK on Saturday evening.

The hosts are desperate for points to drag them out of the relegation zone and will be hoping to inflict the first defeat of Trabzonspor's season when the pair meet this weekend.

Match preview

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Undoubtedly the standout side in this season's Super Lig, after nine maches Trabzonspor are yet to be beaten and have dropped points on only three occasions.

It is 36 years since the Black Sea Star last lifted the Turkish championship, and if they are to get over the line this season, managing tough periods in matches will be crucial to their hopes.

That is exactly what they did in their last runout against Fenerbahce, where Trabzonspor came from behind to score twice in the final five minutes to steal a crucial win over their fellow title hopefuls.

Goals late on from Yusuf Sari and Anastasios Bakasetas helped Trabzonspor leapfrog the record Turkish champions in the table, taking them to the top for the first time this season.

They now hold a slender two-point lead over Fenerbahce and will get the chance to extend that to five, before the club from Istanbul play on Sunday evening.

Abdullah Avci should be confident his side will be able to make it five wins from six away matches on Saturday, given their impressive head-to-head record over Goztepe.

Trabzonspor have lost just one of their previous five encounters with Goz Goz and are unbeaten at the Gursel Aksel Stadi since August 2017 – a run of three matches.

Regardless of how they have fared over the previous years against Trabzonspor, Goztepe's form this season has not shown anything to suggest they would be able to uproot the league leaders.

Their 2-1 triumph over Kasimpasa at the weekend was only their second victory of the campaign, having previously lost the last four matches since beating Istanbul Basaksehir back in early September.

The Basaksehir game remains their only home win of the season so far, with Goztepe having won just one of their previous eight Super Lig matches at the Gursel Aksel Stadi.

Unlikely to find the remedy for their poor home form this weekend, Goztepe will look towards their upcoming fixtures against relegation rivals should they wish to pick up the points needed to extend their four-year stay in the first tier.

Team News

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It has not been a successful start to life as a Goztepe player for Marko Mihojevic, and after making the switch from PAOK in the summer, the defender has managed just two league appearances this year.

Mihojevic will miss the visit of Trabzonspor through injury, yet Nestor El Maestro will not have any other injury concerns plaguing his side ahead of the weekend's fixture.

What is more, the Serbian coach will welcome back starting defender Dino Arslanagic, who missed the win against Kasimpasa through a yellow card suspension.

Goals have been in short supply for Goztepe this season, with Cherif Ndiaye leading the way as the club's top scorer with a mere two for the campaign, and El Maestro will be hoping the Senegalese forward can improve his fortunes in front of goal soon.

Along with leading the way in terms of points, Trabzonspor also top the scoring charts this season and have been thankful for the efforts of attacking midfielder Bakasetas, who has netted seven times already.

Similarly, summer signing Andreas Cornelius has started the season in fine fashion, scoring three Super Lig goals, and the former Leicester City man will be looking to link up once again with veteran playmaker Gervinho in the Trabzonspor attack.

Trabzonspor's creative efforts may be hampered by the absence of Marek Hamsik, who will be missing with a leg injury, whilst the visitors will also be without Serkan Asan (muscle), Bengali-Fode Koita (thigh) and Abdulkadir Parmak (muscle).

Goztepe SK possible starting lineup:
Egribayat; Cankaya, Nukan, Demirtas; Paluli, Kayan, Nwobodo, Burekovic; Jahovic, Ndiaye, Akbunar

Trabzonspor possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Peres, Ie, Hugo, Denswil; Ozdemir, Omur, Bakasetas; Gervinho, Cornelius, Nwakaeme

We say: Goztepe SK 0-2 Trabzonspor

It has been an unusually strong start to the season for Trabzonspor, who will hope their failure to qualify for European football will aid their title hopes.

They will not be able to win the league on Saturday, but failure to pick up a victory could cost them dearly in the long term, so expect a professional job from Turkey's in-form side.