Turkish Super Lig | Gameweek 9

Oct 20, 2024 at 5pm UK

Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu

Samsunspor vs Fenerbahce

Match preview

Samsunspor have made a blistering start to the season in the Super Lig, winning six of their opening eight games to move four points clear of leaders Galatasaray.

It has been a dream start for a club that barely survived a return to the second tier last season, having won promotion to the top flight at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Before the international break, the Red Lightning once again showed their resilience, scoring twice in stoppage time to claim a 3-1 win away at Adana Demirspor in a game in which they had trailed from the seventh minute and were level on 90 minutes.

The biggest improvement for Thomas Reis' men in their last two games has been their goalscoring prowess, with seven goals in the two games, the same number as in their opening six matches.

Samsunspor will be hoping that their attacking prowess can help them extend their four-game winning streak when they take on one of the biggest teams in the league, Fenerbahçe, a side they have struggled against with just one win in their last 11 competitive meetings.

Fenerbahce are unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions, having held Twente to a 1-1 draw in the Europa League just before the break, and followed that up with a win over Union SG in their opening match of the competition.

In between, the Yellow Canaries won 2-0 away at Antalyaspor in the Super Lig to bounce back from their first league defeat of the season against Galatasaray.

Jose Mourinho's men now trail leaders and arch-rivals Galatasaray by six points, having played a game less, and will know there is little room for complacency if they are to dethrone the Lions, who have won the last two Super Lig titles.

Picking up a win on Sunday against an in-form Samsunspor will not be an easy job for Fenerbahce, but the visitors have not lost an away game in the Super Lig since doing so in the 2022-23 season and that will fuel their belief.

Recent Performance

Samsunspor Turkish Super Lig form:

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Fenerbahce Turkish Super Lig form:

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Fenerbahce form (all competitions):

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Injuries and suspensions

Samsunspor

No sidelined players

Fenerbahce

30 İrfan Can Eğribayat

4 Çağlar Söyüncü

22 Levent Mercan

5 İsmail Yüksek

28 Bartuğ Elmaz

18 Filip Kostić

70 Oğuz Aydın

-- Burak Kapacak

Possible starting lineups

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Drongelen, Bola; Muja, Bennasser; Holse, Ntcham, Dimata; Mouandilmadji

Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:

Livakovic; Muldur, Djiku, Becao, Oosterwolde; Fred, Yusek; Tadic, Szymanski, Saint-Maximin; Dzeko