Galatasaray will hope to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig table with a win at Kocaelispor on Sunday.
The visitors will be counting on the brilliance of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen once again on the back of a Champions League hat-trick.
Kocaelispor vs Galatasaray Preview
Galatasaray settled for a hard-fought goalless draw with title rivals Trabzonspor last weekend, with Cimbom finding it hard to beat Andre Onana in the opposition goal.
Okan Buruk’s men, however, did not find scoring difficult in the Champions League on Wednesday, as Osimhen bagged a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Ajax.
Cimbom are unbeaten in the league this season, and they have won the most points on the road.
Meanwhile, Kocaelispor were left disappointed after conceding a late penalty to lose 1-0 against Istanbul Basaksehir last time out.
The Gulf were on a three-match winning streak prior to that, overturning a poor start to the season, which saw them fail to win any of their opening seven matches.
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Kocaelispor vs Galatasaray head-to-head
Both teams will face off for the first time since 2009, when Kocaelispor secured a shocking 5-2 win over Galatasaray.
Before that defeat, Cimbom had won five successive matches against the Kocaelispor, and they will hope to re-establish such dominance starting from Sunday.
Kocaelispor vs Galatasaray team news
Kocaelispor will remain without Mateusz Wieteska, who is recovering from a long-term knee injury.
Fellow defender Massadio Haidara is also sidelined after suffering a setback from a previous injury which has now seen him miss the last three matches.
Leroy Sane in action for Galatasaray || Image credit: Imago
Meanwhile, Galatasaray will also remain without former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who is sidelined with a calf injury.
Yunus Akgun also misses out again with a groin issue, though Davinson Sanchez returns after suspension.
Kocaelispor vs Galatasaray probable lineups
Kocaelispor: Jovanovic; Oguz, Balogh, Djiksteel, Smolcic; Show, Keita; Agyei, Linetty, Bingol; Dursun
Galatasaray: Cakir; Singo, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs; Lemina, Torreira; Sane, Sara, Yilmaz; Osimhen
Kocaelispor vs Galatasaray prediction and betting tips
Kocaelispor have been solid at home this season, losing just one of five matches at the Kocaeli Stadium (2W, 2D, 1L).
However, the hosts will now be able to deal with Galatasaray’s quality and attacking force. The visitors boast of an in-form Victor Osimhen, while Leroy Sane has also settled in to life pretty well at Gala, leading the team for big chances created.
Correct score prediction: Kocaelispor 0-2 Galatasaray
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