Süper Lig Matchday 9 Preview: Istanbul Derby Takes Centre Stage
The Trendyol Süper Lig’s ninth round features nine fixtures spread across the weekend and into Monday. The headline event is the Kıtalararası Derbi, with Galatasaray welcoming Fenerbahçe to RAMS Park. Beşiktaş also face a demanding test against İstanbul Başakşehir as they try to carry their midweek European resilience into league action.
Alanyaspor vs Kocaelispor
Kick-off: Friday, 23 October, 18:00 BST (20:00 local time)
Venue: Bahçeşehir School Arena, Alanya
Alanyaspor begin the round at home looking to recover from a 3-0 defeat away to Fenerbahçe in Matchday 8. Kocaelispor also arrive after a setback, having lost 2-1 at home to Göztepe.
The hosts will likely try to control possession through the middle and use the wide areas to launch attacks. Kocaelispor’s route forward may depend on quick counter-attacks and making the most of set pieces.
Probable line-ups
Alanyaspor (4-2-3-1): Taşkıran; Hadergjonaj, Lima, Aliti, Balkovec; Richard, Makouta; Cordova, Janvier, Eduardo; Ui-jo.
Kocaelispor (4-1-4-1): Gül; Oğuz, Radaković, Appindangoyé, Hafez; Pedrinho; Candeias, Vuković, Ciğerci, Mendes; Markao.
Alanyaspor’s home advantage could prove decisive in what is expected to be a closely fought opener. The hosts have a slight edge to claim a narrow win.
Eyüpspor vs Kasımpaşa
Kick-off: Saturday, 24 October, 11:30 BST (13:30 local time)
Venue: Necmi Kadıoğlu Sports Complex, Istanbul
This Istanbul derby offers Eyüpspor a chance to halt a worrying run. They have lost their last two matches, against Göztepe and Erzurumspor, and need to restore order at the back. Kasımpaşa, by contrast, arrive in high spirits after beating Samsunspor 4-1.
Kasımpaşa’s pace in wide areas caused serious problems last time out. Eyüpspor will need to protect the centre of their defence and avoid giving the visitors opportunities to win loose balls and dictate the tempo.
Probable line-ups
Eyüpspor (4-1-4-1): Özer; Bingöl, Yılmaz, Claro, Meraş; Midtsjø; Akbaba, Saiz, Yalçın, Ampem; Thiam.
Kasımpaşa (4-2-3-1): Gianniotis; Winck, Opoku, Yasin, Rodrigues; Sadiku, Gül; Fall, Kara, Ben Ouanes; Da Costa.
With both teams capable of attacking quickly, the derby could become an open contest. A draw with goals is a reasonable expectation.
Gaziantep FK vs Erzurumspor FK
Kick-off: Saturday, 24 October, 14:00 BST (16:00 local time)
Venue: Gaziantep Stadium, Gaziantep
Gaziantep return to their home ground after a 2-1 loss to İstanbul Başakşehir. Erzurumspor, meanwhile, travel south with confidence following a 2-0 victory over Eyüpspor, secured without conceding.
Gaziantep will need to be more clinical in the final third if they are to break through Erzurumspor’s compact defensive shape. The visitors are likely to contest aerial balls and keep their central areas tightly protected.
Probable line-ups
Gaziantep FK (4-2-3-1): Dioudis; M’Bakata, Ersoy, Saborit, Taşdemir; Jevtović, Kozłowski; Sorescu, Maxim, Lungoyi; Kodro.
Erzurumspor FK (5-3-2): Bakırbaş; Artarslan, Yumlu, Mustafa, Olanare, Celustka; Özhan, Shala, Estrela; Eren, Rosheuvel.
This could be a physical match decided by a small number of chances. Gaziantep are marginal favourites to come through with a 1-0 win.
Samsunspor vs Amed SK
Kick-off: Saturday, 24 October, 17:00 BST (19:00 local time)
Venue: Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium, Samsun
Samsunspor will be eager to respond after a 4-1 defeat at Kasımpaşa. Amed SK come north on the back of a disciplined 1-0 win over Konyaspor.
Samsunspor’s pressing at home could disrupt Amed’s attempts to build from defence. The midfield battle will be important, particularly if the hosts can limit the service reaching Amed’s direct wide attackers.
Probable line-ups
Samsunspor (4-2-3-1): Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, van Drongelen, Bola; Bennasser, Ntcham; Muja, Holse, Schindler; Dimata.
Amed SK (4-3-3): Akkan; Yeşilyurt, Uçar, Mance, Subaşı; Lourenço, Cassubá, Traoré; Çekdar, Assombalonga, Gradel.
The home crowd could help Samsunspor produce a response, though they will need a more secure defensive performance than they showed last weekend. A hard-earned home victory is the forecast.
Konyaspor vs Gençlerbirliği
Kick-off: Sunday, 25 October, 13:00 BST (16:00 local time)
Venue: Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium, Konya
Konyaspor return home after a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Amed SK. They will be looking to turn the page against Gençlerbirliği, who travel to Konya for a fixture that could be shaped by how effectively the hosts respond to their recent loss.
After being held scoreless last time out, Konyaspor will want to create more consistent pressure in attack while avoiding the defensive lapse that proved costly. The available preview information does not provide a recent result or projected line-up for Gençlerbirliği, so the visitors’ approach will be worth watching once the match begins.
Göztepe vs Çorum FK
Göztepe head into Matchday 9 after earning a 2-1 victory over Kocaelispor. They will aim to build on that result when Çorum FK visit, with the home side’s recent win offering encouragement but no guarantee of an easy afternoon. Göztepe will need to balance their attacking ambition with the defensive discipline that helped them collect points last round.
Çaykur Rizespor vs Trabzonspor
The Black Sea fixture between Çaykur Rizespor and Trabzonspor adds another regional rivalry to the weekend programme. Rizespor will look to make the most of home support, while Trabzonspor face the challenge of securing a result on the road. With no recent results or likely line-ups specified in the available match details, the key question is which side can impose its style early and control the contest.
Beşiktaş vs İstanbul Başakşehir
Beşiktaş meet İstanbul Başakşehir as they seek to turn midweek European resilience into domestic points. Başakşehir arrive after beating Gaziantep FK 2-1 in Matchday 8, a result that should give the visitors confidence.
For Beşiktaş, the task is to match their European determination while maintaining concentration against a side coming off a league win. Başakşehir will hope to carry their momentum into another challenging fixture. The midfield contest and the ability to convert promising attacks into clear chances could prove crucial.
Galatasaray vs Fenerbahçe
The round’s biggest occasion comes at RAMS Park, where Galatasaray host Fenerbahçe in the Kıtalararası Derbi. As one of Turkish football’s defining rivalries, the match carries enormous significance for supporters and can reshape the mood around either club.
The pressure of a derby often makes composure as important as attacking quality. Galatasaray will have home support behind them, while Fenerbahçe arrive having beaten Alanyaspor 3-0 in Matchday 8. Both sides will need to manage the intensity, avoid costly errors and make the most of their opportunities.
Together, the nine fixtures offer a varied Matchday 9 programme: a major Istanbul derby, a Black Sea clash, several teams looking to recover from defeats, and others hoping to extend positive runs. For Beşiktaş and the sides chasing momentum, the round is an opportunity to turn recent performances into valuable league points.