One of the most highly anticipated fixtures on the Turkish Super Lig schedule pits Besiktas against Fenerbahce at Vodafone Park this weekend.
There is plenty of action whenever these two teams meet, with their last four league encounters featuring both teams on the scoresheet and two producing at least three goals.
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Sunday’s all-Istanbul showdown may have a massive bearing on the title race in the long run, especially after both sides performed in patches before September’s international break.
Valerien Ismael’s men have gone from three consecutive league victories to back-to-back games without winning (D1, L1), including a 1-0 defeat to fellow cross-town rivals Istanbul Basaksehir in their last home outing.
Despite parting with last season’s standout striker Michy Batshuayi, who switched to non-other than Fenerbahce this summer, the likes of Jackson Muleka and Wout Weghorst have rendered the Belgian’s exit meaningless.
The dynamic duo has almost single-handedly shouldered the scoring burden across the opening seven league rounds, netting seven out of Besiktas’ 16 Super Lig goals this season.
On the other hand, Batshuayi, who has struggled during his early adventure at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, will turn on a confident mood after scoring for Belgium during the international break.
The 28-year-old has recently slammed ex-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, claiming he was lured to Stamford Bridge under false pretences during the Italian’s tenure in west London (via the Daily Mirror).
Even though the former Blues flop has failed to live up to expectations so far, Jorge Jesus’ men have been ruthless in the attacking third, bagging a league-high 20 goals in just six Super Lig fixtures.
Much of the credit has to go to Ecuadorian stalwart Ener Valencia, who has already tallied seven goals and two assists, as he enters this matchday as the league’s leading scorer.
Match Preview
Besiktas
There is plenty of action whenever these two teams meet, with their last four league encounters featuring both teams on the scoresheet and two producing at least three goals.
Adding to a high-scoring sentiment, two of Besiktas’ last three Super Lig contests at Vodafone Arena have contained over 3.5 goals, both of which also witnessed both teams scoring.
Fenerbahce
No strangers to action-packed matches themselves, Fenerbahce humbled Antalyaspor 5-0 on the eve of September’s international break, making it two Super Lig wins in a row.
In fact, three of the visitors’ last five league outings have featured five or more goals, highlighting their scoring prowess and a propensity for pushing forward in numbers.
Except for the bragging rights, the Yellow Canaries will be out to arrest a poor seven-game winless league streak at Vodafone Arena (D4, L3), which could add more intensity to this mouth-watering showdown.
Besiktas vs Fenerbahce Potential Line-ups
Besiktas (4-3-3): Ersin Destnoglu; Valentin Rosier, Tayyip Sanuc, Romain Saiss, Arthur Masuaku; Salih Ucan, Josef de Souza, Gedson Fernandes; Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jackson Muleka, Wout Weghorst.
Fenerbahce (4-4-2): Altay Bayindir; Ezgjan Alioski, Gustavo Henrique, Serdar Aziz, Ferdi Kadioglu; Emre Mor, Willian Arao, Lincoln, Miguel Crespo; Ener Valencia, Joao Pedro.
Besiktas vs Fenerbahce Prediction
Both managers boast a wealth of attacking potential at their disposal, which promises a spectacle for neutrals.
Though neither manager would like to find themselves on the losing side in this mammoth clash, there’s a feeling Fenerbahce have the upper hand here.
Besiktas 1-2 Fenerbahce
