Trabzonspor and Galatasaray meet Saturday in a high-profile Süper Lig clash with both teams carrying different ambitions into the sixth round. Trabzonspor are looking to make a winning start under new coach Thomas Reis, while Galatasaray will try to extend their perfect run over the past four league matches and remain atop the standings.
The match at Papara Park kicks off at 8 p.m. local time.
Trabzonspor have collected seven points from their opening five matches, recording two wins, one draw and two defeats. Reis will take charge of his first game since replacing Fatih Tekke, with the home side hoping a change in the dugout can spark a turnaround.
Trabzonspor will be without injured midfielders Okay Yokuşlu and Ruslan Malinovskyi. Folcarelli and Batagov have completed their treatments but are not expected to be ready to play.
Galatasaray arrive in considerably stronger league form. The defending champions have 13 points from five games and have won their last four after opening the season with a draw. They will be seeking a fifth consecutive league victory in Trabzon.
The fixture is also the 144th meeting between the clubs in all competitions since their rivalry began during the 1974-75 season, when Trabzonspor first reached the top flight.
Galatasaray have won 66 of the previous 143 encounters, while Trabzonspor have 45 victories. The teams have drawn 32 times. Galatasaray have scored 197 goals in those matches, compared with 159 for Trabzonspor.
Galatasaray hold recent advantage
The Istanbul club have lost only once in their last 10 official meetings with Trabzonspor. Galatasaray have won seven and drawn two of those matches, scoring 23 goals and conceding eight.
Their only defeat during that stretch came in a 2-1 Süper Lig loss to Trabzonspor on Jan. 23, 2022.
Galatasaray have also dominated the rivalry under coach Okan Buruk in league play. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Buruk's side have faced Trabzonspor eight times in the Süper Lig, winning five, drawing two and losing once.
Saturday's match will be Buruk's 23rd as a coach against Trabzonspor. His teams have recorded 10 wins, six draws and six defeats against the Black Sea club across his managerial career.
Trabzonspor have the home edge
Despite Galatasaray's recent dominance, Trabzonspor have historically held the advantage in home league meetings.
The teams have played 53 Süper Lig matches in Trabzon, with the hosts winning 21, Galatasaray winning 19 and 13 ending in draws. Trabzonspor have scored 64 goals in those matches, while Galatasaray have scored 69.
Forty-three of those games were played at the former Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium, while 10 have been held at the current Papara Park.
Galatasaray's biggest league wins over Trabzonspor came in a 5-1 victory in Trabzon on Jan. 21, 2024, and a 4-0 home win on May 26, 2001.
Trabzonspor's biggest victory in the rivalry came on Sept. 1, 2018, when they defeated Galatasaray 4-0 at home.
The highest-scoring meeting between the sides came on Nov. 15, 1998, when Trabzonspor won 5-3 in Istanbul.
107th Süper Lig meeting
Saturday's encounter will be the 107th between the clubs in the Süper Lig. Galatasaray have won 47 of the previous 106 league meetings, compared with 33 victories for Trabzonspor, while 26 matches have ended in draws.
Galatasaray have scored 143 league goals against Trabzonspor, while the Black Sea side have found the net 121 times.
For Galatasaray, the match also represents another opportunity to build on their strong start under Buruk. However, their away record in 2026 has included four league defeats, the most they have suffered away from home in a calendar year during his tenure.
Galatasaray's four away league defeats this year have come against Beşiktaş, Konyaspor, Trabzonspor and Kasımpaşa.