Michy Batshuayi is one of the more underrated goal getters in the modern game. Having comfortably led the lines of the likes of Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, and even the Belgium national team, fate would have him do something that would grant him immortality as a cult legend; move to Beşiktaş.
As the Turkish league is not as coveted to the same extent by certain mass media outlets when compared to the likes of the Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga, the “Batsman” hasn’t received the same attention as he had when he was playing in one of Europe’s top leagues.
Here’s how he’s got on with the legendary Beşiktaş:
Goals
Often being quoted to have a style comparable to that of legendary Ivorian striker Dider Drogba, Batshuayi has always managed to get goals, regardless of the league he’s played in or the strip he’s worn.
Like many in the beautiful game, he goes through spells of incredible form, such as his time at Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 7 goals in just 10 appearances for the German giants. He also moves through dry spells, characterised best by his single goal in 18 games at Valencia, and his 2 goals in 18 appearances in his second loan spell at Crystal Palace.
The same however cannot be said for his time at one of Turkey’s finest. As it stands, the Batsman is busy recreating the form he found when he played at Dortmund, as he is currently averaging a goal every second game in the black and white strip of the black eagles.
4 goals in 8 has many wondering if he’s found the spark he’s needed to get in and amongst the goals again.
Assists
While strikers are more known for being assisted than providing assists, the likes of Bobby Firmino and Harry Kane have begun adjusting that narrative. Assists can be a valuable indicator of a number 9’s performance, as the more goal contributions, the better.
In this case however, the Batsman has only added a single goal contribution on top of the goals he’s netted himself, as he only has the one assist to his name.
If we were to better assess the type of player Batshuayi is however, this statistic isn’t too bad. He’s more of the target man type, who’s deadly in the box, making assists not much of a forte for him.
With 5 goal contributions in 8 games, the Batsman is off to a rip roaring start in Turkey.
Fan Reception
While the Batsman failed to score in his first two, the Beşiktaş faithful honoured him with a huge batman banner after he scored twice in a 3-0 win over Yeni Malatyaspor. The Belgian returned the love by reaching out on Twitter with a message for all Beşiktaş expressing his appreciation for them.
As it stands, Batshuayi looks to be in Beşiktaş’ fans good books, but time will tell as we see how the black eagles progress through the season. Soccer betting enthusiasts who bet on Beşiktaş success in the Turkish league this season will be disheartened by the fact that their selection is currently standing at 6th in the table. All eyes are on the Batsman to work some magic to help Beşiktaş back to where they belong.
