Göztepe host Çorum FK on 25 October 2026 in a Matchday 9 Süper Lig fixture with markedly different form tables on either side. Göztepe sit 13th with nine points from eight games and a goal difference of plus one, while Çorum are seventh on 13 points with plus five. The visitors arrive with two wins under Burak Yilmaz, who replaced Ugur Ucar on 25 September 2026 and Stanimir Stoilov, in charge of Göztepe since November 2023, has never faced him before.
Göztepe's last five league outings read W W D D L, including a 2-1 win at Kocaelispor on 18 October and a 4-0 demolition of Eyüpspor six days earlier, whereas Çorum have gone W W L W W in the same period, taking a 2-1 win over Rizespor on 16 October and a 3-0 victory against Gaziantep FK earlier in the month.
Göztepe are short on defensive bodies, with Allan Godoi, F. Bayir and I. Sabra all out and both L. Gugeshashvili and O. Bayrak doubtful, stripping Stoilov's back three of most of its natural personnel. Çorum lose Gurluk and Saatci to doubt, leaving them thin at centre back and on the right flank.
Göztepe usually line up in a 3-4-1-2 built around a high press but without Godoi, Bayir and Sabra the back three loses three of its first choice players, two of them natural centre backs, forcing Rhaldney and Novatus Miroshi to track back more and compress the press while giving Çorum more time in central areas. Juan leads the attack with around six goals already this season. Stoilov may well have to drop a midfielder deeper to compensate and if he does, the high press that makes Göztepe dangerous in transition becomes much harder to sustain.
Çorum have settled under Yilmaz into a mid block that triggers on the second ball and looks to find Cengiz Ünder immediately. Ünder cuts inside from the right onto his left foot and the duel between him and Göztepe's right sided centre back could decide whether Çorum get in behind or find Göztepe's compacted midfield line denying them the space they need. Kyziridis, with five goals in seven games, is the most direct threat should Ünder create the opening. Without Gurluk and Saatci, the away side may narrow their front line and give Ünder licence to drift into half spaces, while Rhaldney's ability to win the ball high in midfield against Çorum's double pivot will determine whether Göztepe ever get to launch the rapid transitions this ground suits.
The only previous meetings came in the 2023/24 TFF 1. Lig season, where Çorum won 2-1 at Göztepe's ground and drew 1-1 away, finishing the campaign unbeaten in the series. With three defenders absent, Göztepe will lean even harder on set pieces and count on Juan and Andre Henrique to attack deliveries into the box, though Saatci's absence could weaken Çorum's aerial resistance to exactly those situations. Referee Mehmet Türkmen tends to allow physical contact, which should suit the more robust players on both sides and may disrupt the tempo Göztepe prefer.
This has the look of a 0-0 and the personnel situation on both sides is the main reason why. With Godoi, Bayir and Sabra all out and Gugeshashvili and Bayrak doubtful, Stoilov's side will struggle to sustain the high press, likely retreating into a deeper shape after the early exchanges. Çorum, missing Gurluk and Saatci, will sit compact and look to spring Ünder and Kyziridis in transition. Göztepe may hold most of the ball without creating much, Çorum's counters will be blunted by a retreating home side and with both managers likely to prioritise defensive shape over the attacking risks their absences make harder to cover, the likeliest outcome is a game that neither side loses.
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?.
