Besiktas vs Fenerbahce is one of the biggest rivalries in Turkey, but this season, one of them hasn’t been doing great in the Turkish Super Lig. I’m talking about Fenerbahçe, who are struggling to get away from the relegation zone. But, that means they will have additional motivation to give all they got in Monday’s duel at the Vodafone Stadyumu in Istanbul. Can Fener make a big surprise? Find out in our Besiktas vs Fenerbahce prediction and betting tips!
Besiktas
With 39 points after 22 rounds, Besiktas are at the 3rd place on the table. But, their goal is to finish on the second place or even win the title if the lady luck smiles on them. The reason why they want to get on one of the two top spots is that those positions are reserved for the Champions League. The first place leads directly to the elite Euro competition, while the runner-up gets to play the qualifiers.
Considering their current form, Besiktas do have the right to hope for moving up on the table pretty soon. This team is without a defeat in 2019, having won 4 out of 5 Super Lig matches since the year started.
Their biggest strength this season has been their attack. They’ve scored 42 goals in 22 rounds, which makes their attack the second-best in the league. When it comes to defending, they haven’t been that impressive. With 27 goals allowed, they’re far from being the best in the league. Actually, 6 teams have conceded fewer goals.
Fenerbahce
Fener have been dreadful this season in Super Lig. They’re currently struggling to get away from the bottom of the table and relegation is still a major concern for the Turkish giants. But, they’ve started playing better since 2019 started. In 5 league matches played this year, Fener won a total of 8 points which equals to 1/3 of all the points they’ve won this season.
Their form is certainly improving, but they’re still not as great as they used to be. For instance, they lost to Zenit St. Petersburg last Thursday, which cost them a place in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League. But, there might be a silver lining in that defeat – they can now focus entirely on getting away from the danger zone of the Super Lig.
Another thing that is giving their fans some hope ahead of the game with Besiktas is that they have a pretty good record against this team. These teams played one another 4 times in 2018 and Fener lost only once, while playing draw twice, and even winning one duel.
Finally, they brought in a couple of players during the January transfer window, so maybe those guys could help them get a good result on Monday? I’m talking about players like Victor Moses who joined Fenerbahce on a loan from Chelsea and Miha Zajc who signed for 5M Euro from Empoli.
Team News
Besiktas absentees:
- Ozyakup Oguzhan (injury)
Fenerbahce absentees:
- Mauricio Isla (suspension)
- Mehmet Ekici (injury)
Possible Lineups
Besiktas
Karius – Vida, Isimat-Mirin, Gonul, Erkin – Caner, Medel, Ljajic, Lens, Quaresma – Yilmaz
Fenerbahce
Tekin – Skrtel, Ciftpinar, Dirar, Kaldirim – Topal, Marques Siquera, Zajc, Moses, Valbuena – Slimani
Besiktas vs Fenerbahce Prediction
The duel between these two used to be a huge derby, but this season, Besiktas seem like big favorites. They’re just much, much better than their city rivals. And winning this game is of big importance for Besiktas not just in order to get one over their arch-rivals but also to keep up with Galatasaray in the race for a Champions League spot.
Besiktas vs Fenerbahce Betting Tips
- Besiktas @1.75 (bet365)