It was messy. It was loud. And honestly, it was exactly why we watch Turkish football. When Fatih Karagümrük vs Trabzonspor kicked off at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium back in September 2025, nobody expected a seven-goal heartbreaker.
Trabzonspor walked away with a 4-3 win. But the scoreline doesn't even begin to cover the chaos. If you're looking at the standings right now in early 2026, you see Trabzonspor sitting comfortably in 3rd place, breathing down the necks of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. Karagümrük? They’re scrapping in 18th. It looks like a mismatch on paper. But that game in September proved that in the Süper Lig, "on paper" is basically a suggestion, not a rule.
The Night Karagümrük Almost Stunned the Storm
Most people focus on the big three in Istanbul, but Fatih Karagümrük has this weird, stubborn energy. They had just clawed their way back into the top flight after winning the promotion play-off against Bandırmaspor in May 2025. They weren't supposed to give the "Black Sea Storm" a hard time.
Then the whistle blew.
Felipe Augusto opened the scoring for Trabzonspor early, around the 19th minute. It felt like the routine win everyone predicted. But then Tiago Çukur—remember him?—leveled it for the home side. The momentum swung like a pendulum. By halftime, Paul Onuachu had netted twice, putting Trabzonspor up 3-1. Most fans at the stadium started looking for the exits or checking their phones. The game was over, right?
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Wrong.
Karagümrük’s David Datro Fofana decided he wasn't done. In a frantic final stretch, he bagged two goals in the 90th minute. Two. In the same minute. It was pure, unadulterated madness. If Danylo Sikan hadn't scored for Trabzonspor in the 88th minute to make it 4-1 at the time, Karagümrük would have actually walked away with a point. Instead, they got the "moral victory" tag, which, as any fan knows, is just a polite way of saying you lost.
Why Fatih Karagümrük vs Trabzonspor is Never "Just a Game"
Look at the history. Since 2021, these two have met plenty of times, and the record is heavily skewed. Trabzonspor has 11 wins. Karagümrük has... one. That lone 4-1 victory for Karagümrük back in December 2022 remains the outlier, a glitch in the simulation where everything went right for the Istanbul side.
But the games are rarely boring.
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The Onuachu Factor
Paul Onuachu is basically a cheat code against Karagümrük. He has three goals against them in recent fixtures. His height creates a structural nightmare for Karagümrük’s backline, which has struggled all season. They've conceded over 30 goals so far this term. You can't leave a guy like Onuachu unmarked in the box and expect to keep a clean sheet. It just doesn't happen.
Tactical Mismatch or Bad Luck?
Karagümrük plays this expansive, almost risky style of football. It’s fun to watch as a neutral. It’s terrifying to watch as a supporter. They try to play out from the back even when the pressure is suffocating. Trabzonspor, under their current setup, thrives on that. They wait. They pounce. They punish.
What the Stats Don’t Tell You
The numbers say Trabzonspor is the better team. They have 35 points; Karagümrük has 9. But if you dig into the xG (expected goals) from their last few encounters, the gap isn't as wide as the table suggests. Karagümrük creates chances. They just can't finish them, or more accurately, they can't stop the other team from finishing theirs.
- Trabzonspor's Away Form: They’ve been scoring an average of 2.0 goals when playing away this season.
- Karagümrük's Defensive Woes: They've conceded at least one goal in every single match this season. Every. Single. One.
- The "Over 2.5" Trend: Six of the last seven meetings between these two have seen more than two goals. If you're betting on a 0-0 draw, you're probably throwing your money away.
Looking Ahead to the March 2026 Rematch
The two sides are scheduled to meet again on March 1, 2026, at Papara Park. This time, the stakes are different. Trabzonspor is fighting for a Champions League spot. Karagümrük is fighting for survival.
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Trabzonspor has some injury concerns. Edin Visca and Stefan Savić have been sidelined, which thins out their veteran leadership. Meanwhile, Karagümrük is missing Sam Larsson. It’s going to be a battle of depth. Will Karagümrük park the bus? Honestly, they don’t know how. Expect another high-scoring affair where the tactical discipline of the Black Sea Storm eventually wears down the frantic energy of the Istanbul underdogs.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're following the Süper Lig or looking at this specific matchup, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the 80th minute onwards: Both teams have a habit of scoring (and conceding) late. The September match saw three goals after the 85th minute. Don't turn the TV off early.
- Focus on the wings: Trabzonspor's width is their greatest weapon. Karagümrük often gets caught narrow, leaving massive gaps for wingers to exploit.
- Standings aren't everything: In a relegation scrap, Karagümrük plays with a desperation that can unsettle top-tier teams. They aren't going to roll over just because they're 18th.
- Monitor the injury reports: With the March fixture approaching, the fitness of Onuachu and Fofana will dictate the entire tempo of the game.
The gap in the table is massive, but as we saw in that 4-3 thriller, the gap on the pitch is often just one lucky bounce away from disappearing. Keep an eye on the defensive rotations for Karagümrük; if they haven't fixed the "conceding every game" problem by March, Trabzonspor will have a field day in front of their home fans.