Kocaelispor v Gaziantep: defensive solidity meets goal threat in mid-table tussle | OneFootball

Kocaelispor host Gaziantep in the Süper Lig on Sunday, 15 February 2026 in Kocaeli, with eighth facing ninth and top-half momentum at stake.

Gaziantep have won all three previous meetings, including a 2-0 league victory in September and a 1-0 cup win in January, so the hosts have a clear head-to-head record to overturn.

Kocaelispor arrive off a 2-1 win at Kayserispor after a run of two league defeats and a draw. Gaziantep beat Kasımpaşa 2-1 last time out, having drawn at Galatasaray and at home to Konyaspor either side of a defeat at Gençlerbirliği.

Team news could shape plans. Kocaelispor list defender Mateusz Wieteska and goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanovic as injured. Gaziantep are without defenders Myenty Abena and Salem M'Bakata, while midfielder Drissa Camara is suspended and forward Ali Ablak is injured.

The match-up pits Kocaelispor's control against Gaziantep's firepower. The hosts have scored 18 league goals but conceded only 22 with seven clean sheets. The visitors have 29 goals yet shipped 35 and kept four clean sheets. Mohamed Bayo's nine league goals and Alexandru Maxim's seven assists headline Gaziantep's threat, while Bruno Petković (six) and Tayfur Bingol (five) lead Kocaelispor's scoring.

In the table picture, a home win would lift Kocaelispor to 30 points and could see them leapfrog their visitors. Three points for Gaziantep would take them to 31 and strengthen their grip on the top half, while a draw would keep the gap at one point and both sides bunched in mid-table.