Göztepe welcome Çaykur Rizespor to the Gürsel Aksel Stadium on 20 September 2026 for Süper Lig Matchday 6, a fixture that matters considerably more to the hosts than to anyone watching neutrally. Göztepe sit bottom of the table with just two points from five games, Stanimir Stoilov is under pressure despite his contract extension to June 2028 and another defeat here would start to make the situation look genuinely dire, so a first home win would ease some of that tension even if it won't come easily against a Rizespor side managed by Recep Uçar, who sit sixth with nine points and three wins already.
Stoilov and Uçar have never met as opposing managers, so there is no personal history to read into here. Stoilov tends toward a compact 3-4-1-2 built around counter attacking, while Uçar works from a more fluid 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 that relies on high tempo pressing, which sets up a direct tactical contrast between the two systems.
Göztepe's last five reads D-L-L-L-D: they drew 2-2 at Alanyaspor on 12 September, lost 2-4 at home to Gaziantep FK on 7 September, fell 2-3 at Galatasaray on 29 August, lost 0-1 to Gençlerbirliği around 23 August and opened with a 3-3 draw against Samsunspor on 17 August. Rizespor have been considerably more convincing across the same period, going W-L-W-L-W: wins over Eyüpspor (2-0), Gaziantep FK (2-1) and Konyaspor (1-0) sit alongside defeats at Alanyaspor (0-1) and Samsunspor (0-2).
Göztepe are without Allan Godói, Noah Sonko Sundberg, Furkan Bayır and Ibrahim Sabra through injury, with Novatus Miroshi also a doubt, meaning Stoilov may have to ask players to fill unfamiliar roles at the back. Rizespor, meanwhile, are without the suspended Valentin Mihăilă but are otherwise fit, leaving Uçar with most of his preferred attacking options.
Göztepe's 3-4-1-2 depends on wing back width and quick transitions through the middle, where Alex Matos links play alongside Rhaldney. Juan and André Henrique up front will be targeting the space in behind that Rizespor leave when pressing high and with a patchwork back three behind them, those gaps should appear on both sides of the ball. The injuries could leave Göztepe's three man backline exposed to Laçi and Varešanović arriving from deeper positions, which is the kind of problem that compounds quickly once the press gets going. More likely than not, Rizespor's press will create the first clear chances before Göztepe's back three can establish their shape and push the wing backs up, though if Göztepe do survive that early period, Mocsi will be tested repeatedly by Juan and Henrique in one on one situations.
Uçar's side are at their best when pressing high and a reorganised three man backline is precisely the kind of structure that suits them. Ali Sowe leads the attack, Emrecan Bulut is dangerous from midfield, Qazim Laçi anchors the centre and Dal Varešanović links from deeper, with Attila Mocsi providing defensive cover behind them. Mihăilă's absence blunts the directness of that attack somewhat, forcing Uçar to lean more heavily on Laçi and Varešanović to create.
Göztepe have the historical edge in this fixture and carried that into the 2025-26 season convincingly, winning 3-0 away and 3-1 at home. Their defensive situation is considerably worse than it was for either of those games, though, with the injuries at the back shifting the dynamic significantly relative to those previous meetings.
Juan and André Henrique are both dangerous from deliveries into the box, giving Göztepe a route back into the game if they fall behind. Rizespor have aerial presence in their 4-2-3-1 shape, though Mihăilă's absence thins that out slightly. Rizespor have three wins from five this season whereas Göztepe have none and the home side desperately need something here to stay relevant at the bottom of the table.
2-2. Göztepe's need for a result means Stoilov will chase the game, which means his wing backs pushing high and leaving space in behind for Rizespor to exploit. Sowe and Bulut both score for Rizespor and Juan is Göztepe's most likely source of goals. But neither side looks capable of holding a lead once the other commits and Göztepe's defensive problems make a clean sheet essentially out of the question.
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?.
