Eyüpspor welcome Kasımpaşa to their home ground on 24 October 2026 in a Süper Lig Matchday 9 fixture with sharply contrasting stakes for the two sides. The home team sit 18th with just three points from eight matches and a goal difference of minus 20, staring down an early relegation battle, while Kasımpaşa occupy seventh with 13 points and realistic hopes of European qualification. Five straight defeats for the hosts, combined with Kasımpaşa's recent resurgence, means the numbers point one way regardless of what the final scoreline looks like.
Mustafa Dalcı took charge of Eyüpspor on 1 October 2026, replacing Özhan Pulat, while Emre Belözoğlu has been in post since 5 December 2025 when he succeeded Shota Arveladze, with no direct meetings on record between them yet.
Eyüpspor's last five results read like a slow motion collapse, with the side failing to score in any of them: a 0-2 loss to Erzurumspor FK on 17 October, a 0-4 thrashing at Göztepe, an 0-8 hammering by Fenerbahçe, a 0-2 defeat to Çaykur Rizespor and a 0-3 reverse against Çorum FK. Kasımpaşa arrive in far better shape after a 4-1 victory over Samsunspor on 18 October and even their 1-3 loss to Galatasaray showed a side that scored and kept pressing after going behind. Their WLDWD form line describes a side that can win by multiple goals and stay in games they are not expected to.
Eyüpspor must cope without several important players: Ahmed Abdullahi is suspended after a red card, Yusuf Barası is doubtful through injury and Jawad El Yamiq is ruled out entirely, stripping the squad of its leading scorer and two central defensive options at the worst possible time. Kasımpaşa have their own absentees, with Kamil Ahmet Çörekçi sidelined by an Achilles problem, Godfried Frimpong out with hamstring and back issues and Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Fousseni Diabate also missing. Losing two full backs and two attacking midfielders forces Belözoğlu to rotate but Kasımpaşa's depth is still considerably greater than what Eyüpspor can put out.
Eyüpspor under Dalcı have settled into a defensive 5-3-2 low block, prioritising compact lines over anything ambitious in possession. Without Abdullahi they lose their most reliable counter attacking outlet, leaving Konrad Michalak as the primary wide threat and Zak Jules alongside Chandrel Massanga to anchor a depleted midfield and defensive unit. They will sit deep, absorb pressure and hope to frustrate Kasımpaşa long enough to steal something from a set piece.
Kasımpaşa operate with more fluidity, building through structured possession phases with Adrian Benedyczak leading the line and looking to exploit the space behind Eyüpspor's backline, where El Yamiq would normally organise the offside line. Without their usual full back options the visitors may centralise their attack, using midfield rotations to pull Eyüpspor's three centre backs out of position, though Michalak's pace on the counter remains the one area where they might find themselves exposed.
Kasımpaşa hold a 3-1 advantage from the last four meetings between these sides, the most recent going 1-0 to Kasımpaşa on 15 March 2026, while Eyüpspor's only win in that run came on 20 October 2025 by a score of 2-0.
Set pieces are Eyüpspor's clearest route to goal given they have not scored in five league games but Kasımpaşa's defensive discipline should limit those opportunities. Kasımpaşa have scored in each of their last four matches and recovered from a red card in the Galatasaray loss, whereas Eyüpspor are playing under the weight of eight defeats in nine matches, their goals against tally having grown with each successive result in the five game run.
Predicted score: 1-2. Eyüpspor will open with a compact low block, denying Kasımpaşa central space and forcing the visitors to work the flanks and recycle possession and they might even survive the first half hour through disciplined shape and the occasional long ball toward Michalak. But without Abdullahi the attack is blunt and once Kasımpaşa find their rhythm there is little to stop them.
From there Kasımpaşa will gradually take control through patient possession, using Benedyczak to pin the centre backs and open space in midfield. The first goal is likely to come from a well timed run into the box or a patient build up sequence, giving the visitors a 0-1 lead around half time. Eyüpspor will push higher after the interval but that creates the gaps Kasımpaşa prefer to exploit on the counter and a second away goal should follow to make it 0-2.
A late consolation is plausible, most likely from a set piece header or a moment of individual quality from Michalak, producing the 1-2 final. Whether Dalcı's low block lasts beyond the hour mark, given how quickly the side has conceded in recent defeats, is the one genuine variable.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
