Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray: Osimhen, Onuachu set for Super Lig battle – Preview, team news, h2h

Victor Osimhen leads Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray into Papara Park on Saturday to face a Trabzonspor side built around fellow Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu and centre-back Chibuike Nwaiwu, Afrik-Foot reports.

Three Nigerian internationals will be on the pitch in Trabzon, with Osimhen chasing more goals for the league’s runaway top scorer and Onuachu and Nwaiwu looking to give the hosts something to cheer during a turbulent week at the club.

Galatasaray sit top of the table on 13 points from five games, while Trabzonspor are ninth on seven points and go into the derby under a brand-new head coach appointed just two days before kickoff.

Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray: Match radar

⚽ Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray
Competition	Super Lig, Matchweek 6
Kickoff	Saturday, September 19, 2026
Venue	Papara Park, Trabzon
Where to Watch	Check local broadcast listings
🇳🇬 Three Super Eagles feature: Osimhen, Onuachu and Nwaiwu

Form and context: Galatasaray’s title charge against Onuachu’s Trabzonspor

Galatasaray have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, the only blip a 3-1 away defeat to Sporting in the Champions League in midweek.

Okan Buruk’s side beat Kocaelispor 1-0 in their last league outing, with Abdülkerim Bardakcı scoring the winner in the 71st minute.

Galatasaray are unbeaten in their two Super Lig away games so far this season, winning both and averaging three and a half goals scored per away fixture.

Osimhen has scored six goals in just four appearances this season and is the division’s leading scorer by a wide margin.

Trabzonspor have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, including a 4-0 Europa League qualifying defeat to Ferencváros that cost Fatih Tekke his job.

Their most recent league game also ended in defeat, a 1-0 loss away at Konyaspor.

Naaaa, it was victor Osimhen 🥹

pic.twitter.com/2qfITPzwPT https://t.co/yRpY4L53lN

— 🇫🇷🐐 _SULTAN (@_GODOGODO_) September 18, 2026

Trabzonspor have, however, won both of their home league games this season, scoring an average of three and a half goals per home fixture.

German coach Thomas Reis was confirmed as Trabzonspor’s new head coach on September 17, and this derby will be his first match in charge.

Reis arrives from Bulgarian side Ludogorets and previously managed Samsunspor for two seasons, winning 33 of 72 matches in that spell.

Buruk has been explicit that Galatasaray’s aim this season is a fifth consecutive Super Lig title.

Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray Head-to-head record

Trabzonspor won the most recent meeting 2-1 at Papara Park on April 4.

Across their last ten meetings in all competitions, Galatasaray have won five, Trabzonspor have won two and three have been drawn.

Team news and predicted XI

Trabzonspor	Galatasaray
Ruslan Malinovskyi – out (injury) Okay Yokuşlu – out (injury) Arsenii Batahov – out (injury) Tim Jabol-Folcarelli – doubt (injury) Muhammed Cham – suspended (yellow cards) Batista Mendy – suspended (yellow cards)	Wilfried Singo – out (injury) Mario Lemina – doubt (injury) Victor Osimhen – doubt (injury)

Onuachu and Nwaiwu both look set to start for Trabzonspor, giving the hosts a familiar Super Eagles presence at both ends of the pitch under their new coach.

Osimhen’s own status is the biggest doubt in the entire squad, and bookmakers had not priced an anytime-scorer market for him at the time of writing, a sign his fitness is still being assessed.

Deniz Gül would likely lead the line for Galatasaray if Osimhen does not make it.

Osimhen vs Onuachu: Star player comparison

Victor Osimhen Forward · Galatasaray	Stat	Paul Onuachu Forward · Trabzonspor
6	Goals	2
2	Assists	0
4	Appearances	5
16	Shots on Target	2

The managers: Thomas Reis and Okan Buruk

Reis arrives at Trabzonspor with Super Lig experience already banked from his two years at Samsunspor.

His two-year contract with Trabzonspor was only confirmed on Thursday, meaning Saturday’s derby doubles as his introduction to the club’s supporters.

Buruk, by contrast, takes his experienced Galatasaray squad into a fixture they are strongly fancied to win, with Super Eagles forward Osimhen’s fitness the club’s main lingering concern.

Tactical preview

Galatasaray’s double pivot of Lucas Torreira and Gabriel Sara has helped the side average well over 60 percent possession in their last ten league matches, and controlling that midfield battle will be central to their approach.

Width through Roland Sallai and Rafael Leão gives Buruk’s side an outlet to stretch a Trabzonspor back four learning a new system in real time.

Trabzonspor’s route to goal is likely to run directly through Onuachu, with Salah, Muçi and Şimşir all tasked with feeding him early rather than building slowly through a defence still adjusting to Reis’s ideas.

If Trabzonspor’s makeshift double pivot of Tufan and Fabinho cannot deny Torreira and Sara time on the ball, Galatasaray’s front four should create enough chances to trouble a defence low on continuity this week.

Trabzonspor vs Galatasaray: Betting tips and predictions

Score prediction

🔮 Trabzonspor 1 – 2 Galatasaray

Galatasaray’s superior control of possession and away scoring record should be enough to see off a Trabzonspor side still adjusting to a new head coach. Likely scorers: Victor Osimhen or Deniz Gül, Paul Onuachu.