Besiktas v Liverpool – Preview & Prediction
[divider]Besiktas
Besiktas have suffered back to back defeats in the past week. The Black Eagles have slipped down to second place in the Turkish Super Lig and go into the second leg of their Europa League tie with Liverpool 1-0 down.
The Eagles will have a record breaking crowd backing them tonight as the Atatürk Olympic Stadium’s 76,000 capacity has been sold out.
Manager Slaven Bilic will have to make a decision whether to move Atiba to left back or play his new transfer Daniel Opare. The Croatian manager also has to make a decision between the young Atinc Nurkan or Nevip Uysal at centre back.
Gokhan Tore and Demba Ba are expected to start the game.
Liverpool
Liverpool recorded a 1-0 victory over Besiktas at Anfield Road in a tight encounter. The Reds continued their run of form in the league with a 2-0 win over Southampton and come into tonights game in good form.
Brendan Rodgers will be unable to call upon Lucas Leiva, Jose Enrique, Jon Flanagan, Mamadou Sakho and Jordan Henderson due to injuries. Markovic will miss the game due to a suspension.
Prediction
Besiktas have performed well against Premier League opponents this season and were unfortunate to be on the losing side in the first leg. With the support of a full capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium, I am tipping the Eagles to win the game.
Besiktas Win