Fenerbahçe face Samsunspor on Tuesday night in Adana with a place in the Turkish Super Cup final at stake, as Türkiye’s reimagined Super Cup enters a decisive new chapter.
Once a single-match curtain-raiser, the Super Cup has evolved into a four-team tournament designed to inject competitiveness and drama into the domestic calendar.
This semi-final places two sides with sharply contrasting trajectories on a collision course: Fenerbahçe, weighed down by expectation and history, and Samsunspor, driven by opportunity and little to lose.
For Fenerbahçe, this competition carries emotional weight.
The Yellow Canaries have not lifted the Super Cup since 2014, when they defeated Galatasaray on penalties in one of the fiercest derbies in Turkish football.
Since then, frustration has followed.
Their most painful recent memory came in 2023, when Galatasaray were awarded the trophy after Fenerbahçe refused to take the field amid disputes surrounding officiating and scheduling.
A decade without this trophy has only sharpened the sense that unfinished business remains.
Yet, the present offers encouragement.
Despite a 2-1 defeat to Beşiktaş in their latest Turkish Cup outing, Domenico Tedesco’s side arrive in Adana riding a 16-match unbeaten streak across all competitions prior to that loss, winning 10 along the way.
The run has restored confidence, reinforced squad belief and steadied a campaign that has oscillated between promise and pressure.
Still, if form points one way, history offers a warning.
Samsunspor have emerged as an unexpected obstacle for Fenerbahçe, remaining unbeaten against them since August 2023. In a competition where margins are thin and knockout football unforgiving, that psychological edge matters.
Samsunspor’s overall form, however, paints a more complicated picture.
The Red Lightning have managed just two wins in their last 10 matches across all competitions, drawing three and losing five.
Their struggles have stalled momentum and left them sixth in the Süper Lig, 17 points off the summit.
But cup football has a habit of ignoring league tables, and their 2-1 victory over Eyüpspor in the Turkish Cup, their first win since early November, provided a timely reminder of their capacity to rise on big occasions.
For Thomas Reis and his players, this semi-final represents more than a fixture, it is their clearest path to silverware this season.
Having exceeded expectations with a third-place league finish last year to qualify for this tournament, Samsunspor now have a rare chance to turn progress into tangible reward.
The single-leg nature of the tie adds further tension. There is no safety net, no second chance.
Victory sends the winner to the final on Jan. 10 at Atatürk Olympic Stadium, where either Galatasaray or Trabzonspor will stand between them and the trophy.
Fenerbahçe’s challenge is compounded by a depleted squad.
Fred Rodrigues is suspended, while injuries have sidelined Archie Brown, Edson Alvarez, Anderson Talisca and Nelson Semedo.
The absences stretch across every line of the pitch, forcing Tedesco into tactical compromises.
Further reducing options, Youssef En-Nesyri and Dorgeles Nene are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, stripping the attack of depth and physical presence.
Samsunspor, too, arrive short-handed.
Tanguy Coulibaly and Afonso Sousa are ruled out, while Olivier Ntcham remains a doubt pending a late fitness assessment.
Depth, stamina and in-game adaptability may prove decisive as the match unfolds.
One of the night’s most compelling subplots lies with Anthony Musaba.
The winter signing is set to make his Fenerbahçe debut against his former club, potentially from the bench. His pace and directness offer Tedesco an alternative weapon late in the game, and his familiarity with Samsunspor adds intrigue to an already layered contest.
Beyond the immediate stakes, history looms large.
Fenerbahçe are chasing a fourth Super Cup title, having previously triumphed in 2007, 2009 and 2014.
Their pedigree in season-opening trophies runs deeper still, with six Presidential Cups victories in the pre-Super Cup era, a reminder of the club’s long-standing presence in Turkish football’s defining moments.
