Gaziantep take on the visitors Galatasaray in the round 1 match of Turkish Super Lig. The match will be played on Friday, August 8th at Kalyon Stadyumu (Gaziantep).
Gaziantep have looked quite decent for their level. GFK is a relatively young project, launched only in the late 1980s, and has already reached the Süper Lig several times. Since 2019, they have managed to maintain their presence in the top flight. To be precise, following the memorable earthquake two years ago, the club did suspend its football activities, but returned the very next season and has continued to show a level that, while not especially impressive, has been enough to secure their place in the country’s top division. In the 2024/2025 campaign, they managed to collect 12 wins and 45 points, and, albeit on tiebreakers, finished in a fairly comfortable 12th place. This summer they were also active in the transfer market, though neither the names nor the transfer fees stood out. The team’s recent pre-season form was mixed, with a couple of solid wins overshadowed by heavy defeats against stronger opponents. Defensive organisation remains their weak spot, often costing them valuable points in tight matches.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Galatasaray started last season with a 0–5 loss to Beşiktaş in the Super Cup and failed to progress through the Champions League qualifiers. There were other setbacks too, including a below-expectations run in the Europa League. However, domestically they had no equals. Not even Fenerbahçe under Mourinho could stop them — the “Canaries” only reacted with verbal attacks on Okan Buruk after a cup defeat. In the end, 95 points were more than enough to comfortably outpace their nearest challengers (Fenerbahçe finished with 84) and complete a domestic double. But staying at the top is always harder than climbing there. Moreover, the permanent signing of Osimhen took longer than expected to finalise, and the goalkeeper situation (Muslera having left to see out his career in South America) remained unresolved until August. That said, there is still enough time for squad strengthening. In the first weeks of the new season, Galatasaray have been clinical in attack, scoring multiple goals in most matches. Their midfield control and set-piece threat make them especially dangerous against sides like Gaziantep.
There has been no intrigue: the Istanbul giants have won each of the last six head-to-head meetings. Nothing will change this time either — the Lions should win by more than a single goal, so we back them with a handicap of “-1.0 goals.”
Prediction for the match: Galatasaray to win with -1.0 handicap.
