Caykur Rizespor and Samsunspor are set to meet at Caykur Didi Stadium on Thursday in a rescheduled Turkish Super Lig round 27 clash — and while the table implications may seem modest on paper, both sides have plenty to play for with the business end of the season rapidly approaching. The fixture was originally postponed to accommodate Samsunspor’s European commitments, but now that their continental adventure is behind them, full focus turns to domestic matters.
For the hosts, this match arrives at a moment of some concern. Rizespor have lost their last two consecutive league matches — a 1-0 defeat to Trabzonspor followed by a gut-punch 2-1 reverse against Fatih Karagumruk last Sunday. The Karagumruk result was particularly painful. Ali Sowe pulled the Black Sea Sparrowhawks level in the 70th minute, scoring his first goal of 2026, only for the side to concede again with just three minutes left on the clock. That sort of late collapse is the kind of thing that rattles morale heading into a must-win home encounter.
Recep Ucar’s men currently sit 12th in the Super Lig with 30 points, and while they’re not looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone just yet, letting this losing streak extend would make the final weeks of the campaign a lot more uncomfortable than they need to be. The silver lining is that both defeats came away from home — at Caykur Didi Stadium, Rizespor have been considerably more resilient, winning their last two home fixtures and losing only once in their last five league matches on home soil.
The head-to-head record between these two sides also gives the hosts some cause for optimism. Although the most recent clash in Rize ended in a 1-0 loss for Rizespor, they went on to avoid defeat in the next two meetings with Samsunspor — recording a 3-2 win and a 1-1 draw, both played in Samsun earlier in the campaign.
Samsunspor’s Away Form in the Turkish Super Lig a Real Concern Heading Into Rize
Samsunspor are undeniably enjoying one of the most successful chapters in their modern history. After earning European football last season, the so-called Red Lightning reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League — a remarkable achievement for a club that had spent years outside the top flight. They eventually exited that competition but can hold their heads high. Domestically, seventh place in the Super Lig keeps them on course for a fourth successive season in the top division.
That said, life on the road in the league has become a genuine problem for Thorsten Fink’s side. Samsunspor have failed to win any of their last three away Super Lig matches, picking up two defeats and a draw during that run. Their most recent result was a 2-2 draw with Konyaspor, which maintained a three-match unbeaten run across all competitions — but drawing at home to a team in the bottom half won’t exactly set pulses racing.
On the team news front, Rizespor will be without defender Husniddin Alikulov for the rest of the season after he suffered an ACL and meniscus injury, while experienced centre-back Samet Akaydin serves a suspension. Samsunspor are also dealing with absentees — Bedirhan Cetin remains out with a cruciate ligament injury, Lubomir Satka is sidelined with a broken hand, Jaures Assoumou is injured, and Emre Kilinc is suspended through yellow card accumulation.
With both squads carrying injuries and suspensions into this encounter, squad depth and game management will be crucial. Qazim Laci will be hoping to exert more creative influence for Rizespor, while Sowe will be targeting back-to-back goals after breaking his 2026 drought last weekend.
This feels like a match that could go either way. Rizespor have the home advantage and the motivation of halting a damaging two-game losing run, while Samsunspor possess the quality on paper but have looked shaky on their travels of late. A tight, competitive contest seems the most likely outcome — one where a single moment of quality or a defensive error could prove decisive for either side.