Samsunspor vs Çorum FK Prediction: Fink's Organised Side to Edge Mid-Table Battle

Trendyol Süper Lig Matchweek 5 brings together two sides on four points apiece, Samsunspor 13th and Çorum FK one place below in 14th and neither has built anything convincing yet. Samsunspor's results have produced points but not performances: a 3-3 draw with Göztepe and a 2-0 win over Rizespor sit alongside back to back defeats to Fenerbahçe and Kocaelispor, while Çorum arrive having survived relegation last season and determined to prove they belong at this level, though a 2-6 hammering at Beşiktaş last week suggests their defensive structure still has a way to go.

Thorsten Fink took charge of Samsunspor on 16 February 2026, replacing Thomas Reis, while Uğur Uçar was appointed at Çorum FK the following day after Hüseyin Eroğlu's departure and the two coaches have never previously met in the dugout.

Samsunspor come into this on the back of L-L-W-D, beaten 0-1 by Kocaelispor on 6 September and 0-2 at Fenerbahçe on 30 August, with a 2-0 win over Rizespor on 22 August and a 3-3 draw with Göztepe on 17 August their two brighter outings. Çorum's W-L-L-D features a 3-0 win over Eyüpspor on 6 September, the 2-6 loss at Beşiktaş and a 0-1 defeat to Kasımpaşa either side of a 2-2 draw with Galatasaray that opened their campaign on 14 August.

Samsunspor are short handed going into this. Elayis Tavşan is out with a broken toe while Jaurès Assoumou has a thigh tear and Marius Mouandilmadji is a doubt with hamstring concerns, which removes Fink's two most used forwards and a defensive cover option he had been relying on, whereas Çorum arrive with a full squad available.

Samsunspor defend deep and attack on the break and with Tavşan and Assoumou unavailable the front end of that structure comes under more stress. Celil Yüksel will be the midfield reference point, carrying the ball and winning second balls to keep the shape intact, while Okan Kocuk screens in front of the back four and Joe Mendes operates as a winger providing an outlet on the flank. If Mouandilmadji is ruled out entirely, Samsunspor will likely shift to a compact 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 that invites Çorum on and looks to punish them on the counter.

Uğur Uçar's Çorum carry a similar defensive foundation but Pedrinho, Alexandros Kyziridis and Cengiz Ünder give them more to work with in advanced positions. Pedrinho is the central playmaker, threading balls behind defensive lines for Kyziridis and Ünder, while Joseph Attamah screens in front of the back line.

The question that matters most tactically is whether Yüksel can cut off Pedrinho's through ball delivery, specifically the passes that release Kyziridis and Ünder in behind Samsunspor's defensive line. With the hosts already short up front, any time those two get in behind, there is little to recover with. On the flanks, Mendes faces Kyziridis and Ünder in matchups that will test him for the full 90 minutes.

There is not much top flight history between these clubs, with the most recent meeting coming in a lower division fixture on 12 August 2019, when Çorum FK won 2-1.

Losing Tavşan's delivery from wide and Assoumou's aerial presence hurts Samsunspor at set pieces, shifting more responsibility onto defenders already covering extra ground. Çorum's set piece delivery will aim at Attamah and Kyziridis in the box, where Samsunspor are short on aerial cover and the injury disruptions lean this toward a low scoring game where Fink's structure matters more than individual quality.

Samsunspor 2-1 Çorum FK. Fink defends deep and limits Pedrinho's touches in dangerous areas and whether it is Mouandilmadji or a replacement up front, Samsunspor have enough pace on the counter to score twice from open play. Pedrinho's through balls will stretch the defensive line and Çorum will get on the board late but two goals conceded in 90 minutes is a manageable ask for a side set up as conservatively as this one.