Göztepe, which finished last season in 6th place in the Süper Lig and missed out on a European spot in the final week, has started the new season far below expectations. The İzmir side has dropped to 17th place in the standings after collecting only 1 point in the first 4 weeks.
The yellow-reds opened the season with a 3-3 draw away against Samsunspor. Following a 1-0 home defeat to Gençlerbirliği, Göztepe left their third-week away match against Galatasaray with a 3-2 loss. Most recently, the İzmir representative lost 4-2 to Gaziantep FK at Gürsel Aksel Stadium.
Despite strengthening their squad with transfers before the season and remaining undefeated in pre-season friendlies, Göztepe's defensive record in the league has drawn attention. Last season, the yellow-reds conceded 32 goals, becoming the second team with the fewest goals conceded in the league after Galatasaray.
This season, however, the picture has reversed. Göztepe has conceded 11 goals in the past 4 weeks, making them the team with the worst defensive record in the league in this category. The İzmir side had conceded only 1 goal in the first 4 weeks of last season.
News Source: 12punto
