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

Kocaelispor host Antalyaspor in the Süper Lig on 19 December 2025 in Kocaeli, with the ninth-placed hosts chasing upward movement and the visitors, 15th, looking to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three.

Kocaelispor have been difficult to break down at home, conceding just three league goals, and they have six clean sheets this season. Recent meetings are split at one win each, including Antalyaspor's 3-1 Türkiye Kupası victory in January.

Form points to a tight game. Kocaelispor are unbeaten in three league matches, while Antalyaspor are without a league win in four and lost 4-1 to Galatasaray last time out.

Selection could matter. Kocaelispor list defender Mateusz Wieteska as injured. Antalyaspor are without goalkeeper Julián Cuesta, midfielder Erdoğan Yeşilyurt and defender Georgi Dzhikiya through injury, while forward Kerem Kayaarası is suspended.

Routes to goal may hinge on fine margins. The hosts have scored only 13 league goals, so Bruno Petković's five and Tayfur Bingöl's four loom large. Antalyaspor average 43% possession and have conceded 29, but they travel better than they play at home, with 11 away points and only seven conceded on the road, so Erol Bulut's side may prioritise a compact shape.

A win would lift Kocaelispor to 23 points and could nudge them up the table in the crowded mid-section. Antalyaspor would move to 18 points with victory and could widen their buffer above the relegation places.