Konyaspor vs Trabzonspor preview, h2h, team news: Onuachu, Nwaiwu holding to slim title hopes

Three points are on the line in Konya on Monday evening as the Anatolian Eagles host the Black Sea Storm in what could prove to be one of the more consequential matches of the Super Lig’s closing stages, Afrik-Foot reports.

Trabzonspor arrive at the Konya Buyuksehir Belediye Stadyumu sitting third in the Trendyol Super Lig table with 65 points from 30 games, firmly embedded in a gripping three-way title race involving Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Konyaspor, meanwhile, are scrapping in the other direction entirely, rooted in 14th place and desperately needing wins to keep any uncomfortable conversations about the drop zone at arm’s length. Two clubs, two entirely different missions, one big Monday night game.

Match preview: Konyaspor vs Trabzonspor

The context could not be more different for the two sides heading into this one. Trabzonspor have been arguably the story of the 2025-26 Super Lig season.

Despite operating with a squad considerably less expensive than those of the Istanbul giants, Fatih Tekke’s side have punched well above their weight throughout the campaign, sustaining a genuine title challenge deep into the home stretch.

Their form guide reads impressively: unbeaten in eight consecutive league matches heading into Matchday 29, with wins over Istanbul Basaksehir, Kayserispor, Rizespor, and an enormous and emotionally charged 2-1 victory over Galatasaray at Papara Park, ending an 882-day wait to beat any of Turkey’s traditional big three.

That Galatasaray result sent shockwaves through the title race and moved Trabzonspor to within one point of the top spot at the time, sparking real belief in Trabzon that this might finally be their year.

As things stand with four games left to play, they trail leaders Galatasaray by six points and Fenerbahce by two, meaning they need to win all four remaining games and hope for slip-ups from those above them.

A European spot secured, or even that title miracle, depend on getting results in these final fixtures, and with Galatasaray facing Fenerbahce on the same matchday, Monday presents Trabzonspor a free hit to keep the pressure on.

For Konyaspor, the season has been one of almost constant instability.

After a reasonable start that included a couple of notable results, including a memorable 2-0 victory over Galatasaray in January, the Anatolian Eagles have largely struggled to string results together.

They sit 14th with 38 points from 30 games, with 11 wins, eight draws and 11 defeats, and while they are not immediately threatened by the drop zone, a further collapse in form could bring relegation anxiety creeping back into the frame.

Cagdas Atan, who was appointed as head coach earlier this season, has not been able to fully stabilise the ship.

Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 loss at Antalyaspor, and their home record this season, while reasonable, offers very little reason to expect Trabzonspor to be anything other than heavy favourites.

Konyaspor have won five and drawn five of their 15 home matches this season, but their home form against top-half sides has been far patchier.

A fixture against a Trabzonspor side with something significant to play for, and a forward firing at a rate not seen in Turkey for years, is one of the most uncomfortable draws Atan could have right now.

Head-to-head

Historically, this is a fixture that has consistently favoured the visitors.

Across approximately 42 top-flight meetings between the two clubs, Trabzonspor have won around 19 times, Konyaspor have won 10, and 13 have ended in a draw.

The aggregate goal counts reflect that dominance too, with Trabzonspor outscoring Konyaspor by a margin of 59 goals to 46 across those meetings.

In recent seasons, the pattern has remained the same.

Trabzonspor won 1-3 at Konya in April 2024, won 2-1 in November 2023, while Konyaspor did win the reverse fixture in April 2023 by two goals to one, their last genuine run of back-to-back wins in this fixture coming as far back as 2016.

The reverse fixture in the 2025-26 season took place at Papara Park on November 29 2025, and it ended in a comprehensive 3-1 Trabzonspor victory.

Okay Yokuslu’s unfortunate own goal gave Konyaspor a surprise 17th-minute lead, but Paul Onuachu levelled from the penalty spot before half-time, added his second early in the second half, and Ernest Muci wrapped up all three points in the 56th minute.

Onuachu’s brace took him to 11 league goals for the season and moved him to the top of the scoring charts, a feat that hinted at what was to come over the following months.

Looking specifically at meetings in Konya, Konyaspor last won on their own ground against Trabzonspor back in early 2021, though they did claim a narrow 1-0 home win in this fixture in the previous season’s corresponding league match.

The overall history firmly backs the away side, and there is little about current form or context to suggest a deviation from that trend.

Team news

Konyaspor

Konyaspor have been navigating a difficult period off the pitch as much as on it, with several players caught up in Turkey’s ongoing match-fixing investigation.

Winger Alassane Ndao has been hit with a 12-month suspension in connection with the betting scandal, a huge blow given his contribution to the side’s attack.

Adil Demirbag, who scored one of the goals in that famous 2-0 win over Galatasaray earlier this season, has served a 45-day ban related to the same investigation.

Marko Jevtovic and Ufuk Akyol remain sidelined with ligament injuries and are not expected to feature, while Riechedly Bazoer continues his long road back to fitness and will play no part here.

Tunahan Tasci has been serving a suspension after his red card earlier in the season.

Enis Bardhi, the club’s most creative operator in the middle of the park, remains a key figure when fit, and his availability and form will be crucial to whether Konyaspor can cause any problems on the night.

Mehmet Umut Nayir leads the club’s scoring charts this season with nine goals, and the experienced forward will need to be at his sharpest if Konya are to have any chance of troubling Andre Onana in the Trabzonspor goal.

Jackson Muleka is another option up front who adds physicality and duelling ability, ranking among the top players for duels won in the entire Super Lig this season.

Predicted XI (Konyaspor, 4-3-3): Gungordu; Andzouana, Yazgili, Subasi, Guilherme; Ibrahimoglu, Jin-ho, Bardhi; Muleka, Nayir, Stefanescu

Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor carry a longer injury list into this one, but the players who matter most have been available.

Stefan Savic, the club captain and commanding centre-back, has been a long-term absentee with a hamstring issue, and he is unlikely to be risked here.

Edin Visca sustained a foot injury in the dramatic 4-3 win at Istanbul Basaksehir back in November and has since been limited in his involvement.

Youngster Taha Emre Ince underwent cartilage surgery and remains out for the foreseeable future.

Boran Baskan and Salih Malkocoglu have both received bans related to the match-fixing inquiry, and Cihan Canak is also unavailable.

The good news is that Arseniy Batagov has returned to the fold and immediately showed his quality upon his comeback, while the starting back line and attacking options are largely intact.

Now, a special word on Trabzonspor’s trio of Nigerian internationals, each making their own mark on this remarkable campaign.

Paul Onuachu has been simply extraordinary this season. The towering centre-forward has scored 22 Super Lig goals in 28 league appearances, with 24 goals and two assists across all competitions in just 26 starts, putting him on course to break the club’s all-time record for league goals by a foreign player in a single season, a mark of 25 set by Shota Arveladze. He has now scored against all three of Turkey’s big three clubs, and close to 40 percent of Trabzonspor’s league goals have come directly from him. He scored twice against Konyaspor in the reverse fixture and will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing the same side again.

Anthony Nwakaeme, at 37, continues to defy the years with experienced, lively displays from wide areas. The veteran winger picked up a muscle injury earlier in the campaign that kept him sidelined for an extended spell, but he has returned to the squad and featured in recent weeks, including contributing the winning assist in the victory over Galatasaray. He has recorded two assists in 246 Super Lig minutes this season and remains a clever, resourceful option from the bench or in a supporting role if needed.

Chibuike Nwaiwu, who joined from Austrian side Wolfsberger in January for a reported fee of around 5.5 million euros, has grown quickly into one of the more impressive defenders in the league since his arrival. The 22-year-old centre-back from Port Harcourt has established himself as a starting option and showed his attacking quality by scoring in the Karagumruk win before suffering a thigh muscle injury. He returned to training in early March and has been building back into the team, featuring in the recent run of games and completing 90 minutes in the draw against Alanyaspor. His composure and aerial presence have been a genuine asset at the back, and he will form an important part of the defensive structure here.

Predicted XI (Trabzonspor, 4-2-3-1): Onana; Pina, Nwaiwu, Batagov, Eskihellac; Bouchouari, Oulai; Zubkov, Muci, Ozan Tufan; Onuachu

Star Players

The managers

Cagdas Atan (Konyaspor)

Cagdas Atan took charge of Konyaspor earlier this season and comes with the unusual distinction of having played for the club during his career, giving him a connection to the fanbase that his predecessors lacked.

The 46-year-old was still searching for his first win when he took charge, and while results have been mixed, Atan has gradually established a more structured shape and a clearer identity for how he wants his side to operate.

He tends to work with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system, prioritising defensive organisation and looking to hit teams on the counter-attack through the pace and directness of Nayir and Muleka.

His record against top-three sides has been reasonable in spots, but the consistency to generate pressure over 90 minutes against elite attacking units has been the recurring challenge.

Fatih Tekke (Trabzonspor)

Fatih Tekke is the man who has turned Trabzonspor’s season into something genuinely special.

A former Trabzonspor striker of some repute during his playing days, Tekke returned to the club in a coaching capacity and has built a side that punches far above its financial weight, sustaining a three-way title challenge against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce’s far bigger squads.

The 4-2-3-1 is his preferred system, and he has shown tactical flexibility when needed, rotating personnel to manage a congested schedule while maintaining a strong defensive foundation.

His post-match comment after the Galatasaray win summed up his approach: placing huge value on Onuachu’s ability to hold the ball and relieve pressure, while emphasising belief and game-by-game focus as the foundation of what Trabzonspor have built.

Tekke has a strong grasp of what this group can do and what it needs to be competitive, and his management of the season’s final run-in will be closely scrutinised both inside Turkey and beyond.

Tactical preview

This is a game that sets up as a classic counter-attacking contest, with Konyaspor likely to sit deep and compact, and Trabzonspor expected to dominate possession and seek openings.

Atan will almost certainly deploy his side in a low block, with the four-man defence sitting tight and the two holding midfielders covering the channels, aiming to funnel Trabzonspor into areas where the danger can be managed.

The key tactical problem for Konyaspor is Onuachu.

At 2.01 metres and with a first touch that belies his frame, the Nigerian is almost unmanageable from set pieces and devastating in behind when Trabzonspor play the ball into his feet for him to hold and combine.

If Konyaspor’s centre-backs give him half a yard at corners or free-kicks, they will pay.

Going forward, Konyaspor will look to exploit the spaces Trabzonspor can occasionally leave behind their defensive line.

Trabzonspor’s fullbacks, particularly Eskihellac on the left, have a tendency to push forward when the team has the ball, and Nayir’s movement and Muleka’s strength on the shoulder of the last man could be useful in those moments.

Trabzonspor’s 4-2-3-1 gives them a platform to press high and win the ball back early, with Muci’s energy and movement causing problems for Konyaspor’s centre-backs in wide areas.

Oleksandr Zubkov is one of the league’s most creative players in the half-space and his ability to carry the ball into danger zones and slip through a final pass is a significant threat to a Konyaspor backline that has conceded 45 league goals in 30 games.

Christ Inao Oulai’s energy and forward runs from midfield add another dimension, and with Onuachu occupying both centre-backs, there is often space for the midfield runners to arrive late into the box.

Konyaspor’s best hope is to frustrate in the first half and remain compact enough to force the game to remain goalless or close until the latter stages, when fatigue can open pockets of space on the break.

However, Trabzonspor’s quality and experience of playing in pressure situations throughout this season suggests they have the tools to break through a mid-table defensive setup.

Betting tips

Score prediction

Key reasons behind the prediction

Trabzonspor are unbeaten in eight Super Lig matches and carry the momentum of a side that believes it can still win the title.

Paul Onuachu has 22 league goals and has scored twice against Konyaspor already this season, making him one of the most dangerous attacking threats in Monday’s fixture by some distance.

Konyaspor are 14th in the table, have failed to score or create in their last outing, and carry the disruption of multiple suspensions and ongoing personnel issues.

The H2H record across roughly 42 top-flight meetings shows Trabzonspor winning almost double the number of matches Konyaspor have won, and the trend in recent years has been decisively in favour of the away side.

Trabzonspor have been collecting 2.2 points per game on the road this season, one of the strongest away records in the league.

Konyaspor’s attack, which has averaged 1.5 goals per game across all 30 league matches, is likely to find Trabzonspor’s defensive unit a considerable step up from much of what they have faced.

The stars align for a Trabzonspor win here, with a clean sheet very much within reach given the attacking struggles Konyaspor have been enduring.