Gençlerbirliği v Kocaelispor: survival fight meets mid-table push | OneFootball

Gençlerbirliği host Kocaelispor in the Süper Lig at Eryaman Stadyumu on Sunday, 26 April 2026, with the hosts trying to stay out of the relegation places and the visitors aiming to cement a mid-table finish.

Kocaelispor edged the reverse fixture 1-0 in November. The table now has Gençlerbirliği 15th on 25 points, while Kocaelispor sit 11th with 36.

Form is contrasting. Gençlerbirliği have lost four straight in the league but beat Galatasaray away in the Türkiye Kupası on 22 April. Kocaelispor arrive on a three-game draw streak after heavy defeats in March, including a 5-0 loss at Alanyaspor.

Team news could shape the balance. Gençlerbirliği are without suspended pair Zan Zuzek and Henry Onyekuru, plus injured midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Moussa Kyabou. Kocaelispor miss defenders Mateusz Wieteska and Botond Balogh and goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanović through injury, with midfielder Show suspended.

The numbers point to a tight game. Kocaelispor have scored 25 league goals but kept 10 clean sheets, while Gençlerbirliği average one goal per outing and concede 1.5. For the visitors, Bruno Petković and Serdar Dursun have seven and six league goals respectively. For the hosts, Göktan Gürpüz's five assists suggest a likely creative outlet.

Victory would lift Gençlerbirliği to 28 points and could open daylight to the relegation zone. Kocaelispor would move to 39 with a win and could edge closer to the top half, consolidating their position with four games to play.