Trabzonspor take on the visitors Kocaelispor in the round 15 match of Turkish Superlig. The match will be played on Monday, August 11th at Papara Park (Trabzon).
Trabzonspor will try to reclaim the positions lost last season. The “Burgundy and Blues” are rightly considered the most successful club in the country outside of Istanbul. Not so long ago, they even won the league title. However, last season was frankly poor — not even the return of a local legend like Şenol Güneş could help. Only under the current head coach, Fatih Tekke (with the help of winter signings — especially the highly effective Zubkov), did they manage a decent finish, yet still failed to climb into the European competition spots. They also missed their last chance in the Turkish Cup final, though the opponent there was the top-class Galatasaray. Now they will try to improve again, but their move for Saúl fell through at the last moment. Preseason results have been encouraging, with several wins against mid-table Super Lig sides suggesting the team is in better shape than a year ago. Tekke has built a more balanced squad, blending experienced leaders with energetic newcomers.
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Kocaelispor have experienced various chapters in their history. In 2002, they lifted the Turkish Cup for the second time. But the following season, they were relegated from the top division — and only returned for the 2008/09 campaign. They even dropped to amateur level, where they spent two consecutive years. Only from the mid-2010s did things start to improve, though spells in the First League were often followed by stints in the Second. It was only this spring, by winning the second-tier league, that they secured the right to return to the Super Lig. Naturally, this prompted a fairly active transfer campaign. Among the arrivals was Bruno Petković, a Croatian international who even scored at the last World Cup. They enjoyed a strong preseason, going unbeaten in five matches and showing attacking flair. However, their defence still looks shaky, conceding in nearly every friendly, which could be costly against stronger opposition.
In the four most recent encounters between 2002 and 2008, the “Storm” gave their opponent only one draw, winning all three of the other matches. The visitors are certainly not hopeless. But they are unlikely to take points here — the bet is on Tekke’s side winning at home.
Prediction for the match: Trabzonspor to win.
