Evaluation of the Differences Between Home and Away Matches Depending on GPS Data from a Senior Professional Football Team in the Turkish Super League

This study aimed to define performance characteristics of elite male football players in the Turkish Super League in 2024–2025 according to playing positions, evaluate advantages/disadvantages, and reveal the differences between home and away matches. GPS data were selected from those who played at least 1 match out of the 12 matches (eight home + four away) for at least 80 min. While 13 players had at least one match with a minimum of 80 min of data for both home and away games, 5 players had it only for either home or away games. The distance covered by wingers at a speed of 20–25 km/h was greater than center backs. Distance covered by wingers at a speed higher than 25 km/h was greater than that covered by center backs, central midfielders, and strikers. We found no home advantage (41.7%) or away disadvantage (28.6%). However, the variables of distance for 20–25 km/h and >25 km/h were higher in away matches than in home matches. A distance of >25 km/h and acceleration distance have a moderate to strong relationship with assist and goal numbers, respectively (p < 0.05). Our results confirmed that different physical demands were required for playing positions and showed that high-speed running and sprint performance variables differed by match location.