Genclerbirligi (home)
- Genclerbirligi SK sits 15th in the Super Lig with 25 points from 30 matches and Volkan Demirel has his work cut out for him to steady the ship after the recent managerial change.
- Genclerbirligi have lost their last five matches in a row.
- Genclerbirligi have an open, yet pragmatic, system that is likely to be a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 at times, with a measured tempo and selective pressing style.
- Genclerbirligi are losing their last three at home in the Super Lig.
Kocaelispor (away)
- Kocaelispor are 11th on 36 points from 30 games and currently sit in the middle of a dense cluster of teams in the Super Lig log.
- Selcuk Inan has brought more of an intensity to the club since taking over, with his team playing a high-tempo 4-2-3-1 system with triggers for pressing and rapid transitions to try and force turnovers and exploit opposition weaknesses in an energetic forward pass.
- Kocaelispor’s away record in the Super Lig is W3, D4, L7 from 14 games.
- Serdar Dursun has scored 2 of Kocaelispor’s last 3 goals in a run of five games.
Head-to-Head
- There’s a head-to-head advantage for Kocaelispor, who won the last Super Lig meeting with Genclerbirligi 1-0 four months ago.
- The clubs have split their previous five meetings across all competitions with two wins apiece and a draw.
Key Players
- Bruno Petkovic leads the way for Kocaelispor in the scoring charts with 7 Super Lig goals in 18 appearances and should be their main goal threat on Sunday.
- Sekou Koita has six goals in 24 Super Lig appearances for Genclerbirligi this season and looks to be their focal point in attack.
Betting Insights
- In a game of this nature, the style of play is often determined by which team can dominate the rhythm, and Kocaelispor’s pressing style is much more suited to forcing the game into a frenetic tempo than Genclerbirligi.
- Kocaelispor averages 0.71 goals per game scored and 1.57 goals per game conceded away from home in the Super Lig, suggesting that they may not find the goal in this away trip.
- Genclerbirligi average 1.33 goals scored and 1.47 conceded per Super Lig home game, and Kocaelispor’s 0.71/1.57 figures suggest they’ll get on the board in this trip.
- Kocaelispor are 2.92 to win away to Genclerbirligi.
- Over 2.5 goals is priced at 2.36.
Prediction
- We’re backing the away side to add more pressure to Demirel and his staff after a run of three straight draws, including a gritty 1-1 away draw against Galatasaray.
- We’re leaning towards Both Teams to Score - No as Kocaelispor’s defensive discipline could be the deciding factor against a Genclerbirligi side that are struggling for goals.
