Galatasaray v Çorum FK preview: season opener at RAMS Park on August 14
Galatasaray will host newly promoted Çorum FK at RAMS Park in Istanbul on Friday, August 14 in a fixture described as the opening match of the 2026-27 Turkish Super Lig season and also referenced as a pre-season friendly. The match will see the reigning Super Lig champions begin their title defence against a side making its first appearance in the top flight.
Galatasaray enter the campaign as champions after finishing three points ahead of Fenerbahçe to claim their 26th Super Lig title. The club led the league last season for home results, collecting 43 points at home and scoring 46 home goals. Çorum FK secured promotion after finishing fourth in the second division and then winning the promotion playoff, setting up their debut season in Turkey’s top tier. The visitors added several players over the summer, including goalkeeper Marcos Felipe, defender Andrei Borza and Turkey international Serdar Saatci.
Victor Osimhen was Galatasaray’s leading league scorer last season with 15 Super Lig goals and finished with 22 goals across all competitions; he also scored in Galatasaray’s final pre-season fixture against Villarreal. Manager Okan Buruk is expected to retain Osimhen as the central striker, with Barış Alper Yılmaz and Yunus Akgün providing width and Leroy Sané also in contention. Wilfried Singo is the only confirmed absentee for Galatasaray as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. The club is otherwise expected to have a strong squad available for the season opener.
Çorum FK are expected to deploy Mame Thiam as their lead forward, with Jesús Ramírez operating behind him; Sports Mole identifies those two as the visitors’ main attacking outlets. Several of Çorum’s summer signings, including Marcos Felipe, Andrei Borza and Serdar Saatci, could make competitive debuts in the fixture. Veteran defender Sinan Osmanoğlu remains doubtful after suffering an injury in May. The match represents a significant step for Çorum as they enter top-flight competition for the first time.
The two clubs have never previously met in a competitive match, making this their first competitive encounter. Projected lineups listed for the fixture include: Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Ayhan, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Akgun, Sane; Osimhen — Felipe; Sazdagi, Saatci, Smolcic, Borza; Ramadani, Karlsbakk; Abdulkareem, Ramirez, Rodriguez; Thiam. Galatasaray’s superior home record and squad experience at the top level are cited as reasons they are clear favourites for the game.
Match previews predict Galatasaray will secure a victory, with a forecast scoreline of Galatasaray 3-0 Çorum FK. Observers note Çorum could keep the contest competitive early on, but expect the hosts’ attacking options to be decisive and yield three points.
The fixture is scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2026, at the RAMS Park in Istanbul and will be broadcast exclusively on beIN Sports in Turkey and the Middle East.
