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Süper Lig – Week 1 Fixtures and Adjustments

  • gorogluberkin
  • Aug 11, 2025
  • 5 min read

The 2024/25 Turkish Süper Lig season kicked off between 9–11 August, but not all scheduled fixtures went ahead as planned.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) officially announced that three opening-week matches were postponed due to the involvement of the clubs in the third qualifying round of European competitions. The decision was made to allow these sides more preparation and recovery time, aiming to maximise their chances of progressing in UEFA tournaments.


Postponed Matches:

●      Fenerbahçe vs Alanyaspor – Kadıköy

●      Fatih Karagümrük vs İstanbul Başakşehir – Atatürk Olympic Stadium

●      Kayserispor vs Beşiktaş – RHG Enertürk Enerji Stadium

These postponements were approved after requests from the clubs and in line with TFF’s stance of supporting competitive performance in Europe, a policy which, however, has drawn criticism in the past for being applied inconsistently.


Home Team

Score

Away Team

Goals

Galatasaray

3–0

Gaziantep FK

12’ (P) Barış Alper Yılmaz, 16’ Eren Elmalı, 45+12’ (P) Barış Alper Yılmaz

Samsunspor

2–1

Gençlerbirliği

38’ (P)M.Mouandilmadji, 67’ Carlo Holse – 88’ Metehan Mimaroğlu

Çaykur Rizespor

0–3

Göztepe

52’ Malcom Bokele, 90+3’ Emersonn, 90+6’ Anthony Dennis

Eyüpspor

1–4

Konyaspor

51’ Halil Akbunar – 5’, 21’ Umut Nayir, 33’ (P) Enis Bardhi, 79’ Adil Demirbağ

Trabzonspor

1–0

Kocaelispor

49’ Paul Onuachu

Fenerbahçe

–

Alanyaspor

Postponed – UEFA Champions League 3rd qualifying round prep

Fatih Karagümrük

–

İstanbul Başakşehir

Postponed – UEFA Conference League 3rd qualifying round prep

Kayserispor

–

Beşiktaş

Postponed – UEFA Conference League 3rd qualifying round prep

 

Key Matches – Week 1


Galatasaray 3–0 Gaziantep FK


Galatasaray began the season with a convincing victory. The Yellow-Reds won two penalties in the first half. In the 12th minute, Barış Alper Yılmaz converted from the spot to score the first goal of the Süper Lig season. Four minutes later, Barış Alper turned provider, assisting Eren Elmalı to double the lead. Deep into first-half stoppage time (45+12), Barış Alper scored his second penalty of the match to make it 3–0.

New signing Leroy Sané made his debut, but the main talking point was the poor condition of the Gaziantep pitch. In the 35th minute, Gaziantep’s Mbakata suffered a severe injury, later diagnosed as an anterior cruciate ligament tear, both medial and lateral meniscus tears, and a lateral collateral ligament injury in his right knee, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the season. The incident reignited debates on pitch quality and the need to protect the league’s high-profile investments.



Trabzonspor 1–0 Kocaelispor


Trabzonspor opened their campaign with a narrow home win against newly promoted Kocaelispor. Paul Onuachu scored the only goal in the 49th minute. Possession was relatively balanced (55% to 45%), and while Trabzon created chances, Kocaelispor also posed a serious threat with several clear opportunities. Goalkeeper and captain Uğurcan Çakır produced key saves that proved decisive. Offensively promising but defensively unconvincing, Trabzon still looked short of full sharpness.


amsunspor 2–1 Gençlerbirliği


Samsunspor took the lead in the 38th minute through a penalty converted by        M.Mouandilmadji. Karlo Holse doubled the advantage in the 67th minute. Metehan Mimaroğlu’s 88th-minute strike reduced the deficit for Gençlerbirliği, but it wasn’t enough to earn them a point. The Ankara side failed to collect points on their return to the Süper Lig, while Samsunspor continued to display the organised, disciplined approach that defined them last season.


Çaykur Rizespor 0–3 Göztepe


After a goalless first half, Göztepe took control in the second, with goals from M. Bokele (52’), Emersonn (90+3) and Anthony Dennis (90+6) sealing a comfortable win. Rizespor kept the match competitive in phases but failed to threaten in front of goal. Göztepe made a strong start, looking to put last season’s second-half slump behind them.

 

Eyüpspor 1–4 Konyaspor


Selçuk Şahin’s first match in charge of Eyüpspor ended in a heavy defeat. Umut Nayir (5’, 21’), Enis Bardhi (33’ pen.) and Adil Demirbağ (79’) were on target for Konyaspor. Halil Akbunar scored Eyüpspor’s only goal in the 51st minute. In the post-Arda Turan era, Eyüpspor showed a noticeable drop in quality compared to last season.


Hot Topics of the Week

1. Pitch Quality and Protecting Major Investments

The Gaziantep FK – Galatasaray clash drew significant attention for the poor state of the pitch, well below the standards expected in a league attracting global stars. Considering the millions invested in players such as Leroy Sané, Victor Osimhen, Orkun Kökçü, and En-Nesyri, such conditions not only diminish the quality of football but also significantly increase the risk of injuries. The most striking example came when Gaziantep’s Mbakata suffered a severe injury, including an anterior cruciate ligament tear, both medial and lateral meniscus tears, and a lateral collateral ligament injury in his right knee, ruling him out for the rest of the season.


    2. Galatasaray’s Ongoing Kit Dispute with Puma

    The second season of Galatasaray’s partnership with Puma continues to be overshadowed by fan dissatisfaction. Complaints over product quality, inaccurate colours, and design issues were compounded during the Gaziantep match when shirt crests began peeling off and some jerseys tore during play. Similar issues have been reported abroad, with Marseille’s Mason Greenwood having his shirt ripped mid-game and Manchester City kits experiencing logo-peeling problems.


    3. Fenerbahçe’s Referee Statement

    Following Galatasaray’s 3–0 win, Fenerbahçe released a statement implying that refereeing decisions had favoured their rivals. However, the general consensus among the Turkish football public was that the key decisions, including the red card against Gaziantep, the two penalties awarded to Galatasaray, and even the early challenge by Torreira in the first minute, were all correct. While such statements are not uncommon in the heated rivalry, the widespread view was that the officiating in this match was fair. (Statement Link: https://x.com/Fenerbahce/status/1953934824130982234)

     

    4. TFF’s Match Postponement Policy

    The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) postponed the opening-week fixtures of Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Başakşehir to allow them more preparation time for the third qualifying round of European competitions. The official explanation stated that the decision was made at the clubs’ request to improve their chances in Europe. However, the inconsistent application of this policy in past seasons has fuelled accusations of “double standards.”


    5. Off-Field Highlight – Göztepe’s Structural Revolution

    Göztepe are on the verge of selling striker Rómulo to RB Leipzig. The Brazilian forward joined Göztepe permanently for €2.5 million after a successful loan spell, and his performances last season attracted interest from major Süper Lig clubs and several European sides. With Benjamin Šeško moving to Manchester United, RB Leipzig are set to fill the void in their attacking line with Rómulo. The deal is reportedly worth €20 million plus €5 million in bonuses, totalling €25 million. This represents a remarkable profit and a testament to Göztepe’s sharp recruitment and structural strategy. Back on 19 August 2022, 70% of the club’s shares were acquired by Sport Republic, the owners of Premier League side Southampton, with CEO Rasmus Ankersen becoming Göztepe’s president. This investment has triggered a sweeping transformation both on and off the pitch.

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