Beşiktaş vs Trabzonspor – News and Probable Lineups

After a painful exit from the domestic cup, Besiktas shifts focus back to Super Lig as they host Trabzonspor in Istanbul on Saturday, with the aim of closing out the season on a high note.

The Black Eagles come into this match following a last-minute 1-0 loss to Konyaspor in the Turkiye Kupasi semi-final on Tuesday, just three days after the Claret-Blues settled for a 1-1 draw with Goztepe in league play.

Match overview

Given that Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have already departed from the Turkish Cup, Besiktas might have seen themselves as favorites to claim the trophy for a second time in three years; however, those aspirations ended on Tuesday when Enis

Bardhi’s penalty in stoppage time awarded Konyaspor the win.
This defeat also ended Besiktas’ three-match unbeaten streak, which had included two league games, following a 0-0 draw against last-placed Fatih Karagumruk prior to a 2-0 victory over Gaziantep last weekend.

This win confirmed that Sergen Yalcin’s players will not finish lower than fourth in the Super Lig standings, although a top-three spot is now unattainable, with Besiktas trailing third-placed Trabzonspor by seven points and only two fixtures left.

While the hosts strive to conclude the season positively, inconsistency persists as they have oscillated between wins and draws in their last six league matches, with all victories in that span requiring a minimum of two goals scored.

Nevertheless, Besiktas has been strong at home, having claimed nine wins out of 16 Super Lig matches in Istanbul this season (D4, L3), winning six of their last nine, and they’ll be hoping that this solid form plays a role this weekend.

Conversely, Trabzonspor is experiencing their own struggles, having not triumphed in any of their last four league fixtures, managing draws against Alanyaspor and Basaksehir before a 2-1 defeat at Konyaspor extinguished their dwindling title aspirations.

Last weekend’s stalemate with Goztepe was another setback for the Black Sea Storm in their quest for Champions League qualification, leaving them four points behind second-placed Fenerbahce; however, Fatih Tekke would have appreciated the resolve displayed by his team.

After going down to Juan Santos da Silva’s goal in the 32nd minute, Trabzonspor found themselves reduced to ten men just before halftime when Mustafa Eskihellac was sent off, but Umut Nayir managed to equalize deep into stoppage time.

This late equalizer indicates that Tekke’s squad has scored in 21 successive league matches since a goalless draw at Galatasaray in November, although their defensive frailties are apparent, with the visitors conceding goals in their last five Super Lig encounters.

Therefore, another exciting clash could be on the horizon against Besiktas this weekend, particularly as both teams have found the net in each of their last four matches against each other, including an exhilarating 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture last December, which has left the Claret-Blues winless in their last five competitive matchups with the Black Eagles (D2, L3).

Trabzonspor has also been less convincing away from home recently, with no wins in their last two away league outings, but having secured 10 victories in 16 away matches this season (D3, L3) still highlights their threat when on the road.

Team News

Besiktas is expected to miss Kartal Yilmaz due to a torn ankle ligament, while Milot Rashica may be absent for the third consecutive match because of a bone edema issue.

Gokhan Sazdagi is also a significant doubt after being excluded from the last three matchday squads, and Necip Uysal is still serving a suspension related to the betting scandal.

Tiago Djalo was forced to leave the pitch in the last league encounter, but he is likely to be available after being named on the bench midweek.

Hyeon-gyu Oh is expected to continue spearheading the attack, although Mustafa Hekimoglu could also earn his second consecutive league start.

On the other hand, Trabzonspor will be without Eskihellac, who is suspended following his red card against Goztepe, while fellow full-back Wagner Pina will also miss the match due to accumulation of yellow cards.

The visitors will additionally be missing Arseniy Batagov, Stefan Savic, Edin Visca, and Okay Yokuslu, all of whom are sidelined through injury.

Paul Onuachu will be keen to return to scoring form after failing to find the back of the net in his last four appearances, despite still leading the club scoring with 22 league goals this season.

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Destanoglu; Blue, Agbadou, Djalo, Yilmaz; Earth; Olaitan, Original, Cook, Toure; Oh

Trabzonspor probable starting XI:

That’s right; Lovik, Grandmother, Malkocoglu; Zubkov, Jabol-Folcarelli, Bouchouari, Tufan; Music, Augustus; Onuachu

Recent encounters between these teams have consistently yielded goals, and given Trabzonspor’s attacking style often creates space defensively, another captivating match could be on the cards.

Besiktas has been formidable at home, while the visitors have enough quality to cause issues despite their recent difficulties, and considering both sides have defensive weaknesses, a draw with goals seems the most probable outcome.