Fenerbahçe heads to Gaziantep Stadium tomorrow to face Gaziantep FK in the fourth matchday of Group C in the Ziraat Turkish Cup, aiming to bounce back from a challenging run in the Süper Lig and refocus on domestic silverware.
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. local time.
The Yellow Canaries have struggled in recent league action, drawing 1-1 at home to Kasımpaşa on Feb. 23 and 2-2 at Antalyaspor on March 1, dropping points that leave them second in the standings with 54 points from 15 wins and nine draws.
Their European campaign also ended abruptly, with a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Nottingham Forest in the UEFA Europa League playoff round, despite a 2-1 away win in the second leg on Feb. 26.
In the Turkish Cup, Fenerbahçe stumbled in their opener against arch-rivals Beşiktaş, losing 2-1 at home, but followed with wins over Beyoğlu Yeni Çarşı Spor (3-1) and Erzurumspor FK (1-0), placing them third in Group C with six points and a plus-two goal difference.
With only the top two in the five-team group guaranteed knockout spots, a win against Gaziantep FK is vital to secure advancement.
Gaziantep FK has proven a tough opponent at home, beating Kocaelispor 4-1 and Rizespor 3-2 while narrowly losing 1-0 to Beşiktaş.
Fenerbahçe has historically dominated the fixture, winning eight of the last ten meetings, including a 2-0 league victory at home on November 23, 2025, but the host’s home form combined with Fenerbahçe’s recent inconsistencies sets up a competitive showdown.
Adding to Fenerbahçe’s challenges is a growing injury list.
Key absentees include defenders Milan Skriniar and Çağlar Söyüncü, midfield anchor Edson Alvarez, creative midfielder Anderson Talisca, and right-back Nelson Semedo, who was recently involved in a car accident.
Backup options such as Jayden Oosterwolde, Mert Müldür, and Tarık Çetin could be called upon, while forwards Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Marco Asensio will be asked to lead the attack.
Head coach Domenico Tedesco, who guided Fenerbahçe to an unbeaten league start until the recent draws, will lean on squad depth and tactical flexibility to navigate the injury-hit lineup.
A win in Gaziantep would not only keep their cup ambitions alive but also provide momentum heading into their Süper Lig clash with Adana Demirspor on March 8.
Fenerbahçe supporters, known for their passionate backing and a fan base exceeding 50,000 official members, will hope for a decisive performance to reignite the team’s winning rhythm.
Beşiktaş lead Group C with seven points and a plus-four goal difference, followed by Gaziantep FK with six points and a plus-two goal difference, while Fenerbahçe sit third with six points and the same goal difference.
Rizespor and Kocaelispor trail the group, leaving Fenerbahçe with little margin for error in a must-win encounter.
