Besiktas and Goztepe return to action in the Turkiye Kupasi when they square off at the Tupras Stadium on Thursday. Having secured a 4-2 victory when the two sides met in the Super Lig back in November, Stanimir Stoilov’s side will look to replicate that performance and continue their fairytale cup run.
Besiktas returned to winning ways last Saturday when they held their own to see off rivals Galatasaray 2-1 in their Turkish top-flight clash at the Tupras Stadium.
Before that, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were on a run of three back-to-back defeats, including a 3-1 friendly loss against Istanbulspor on March 23.
Besiktas now turn their sights to the Turkish Cup, where they boosted their quest for a 12th title triumph with a narrow 1-0 win over Sivasspor on January 7 before seeing off Kirklarelispor and Antalyaspor in February to clinch the top spot in Group D.
Meanwhile, having thrashed Bucaspor 4-0 in December’s cup qualifiers, Goztepe picked up consecutive 1-0 wins over Erzurumspor and Gaziantep before hammering Kasimpasa 5-0 in their final group game on February 27 to clinch top spot in Group B.
While Stoilov’s side are flying high in the cup, they have struggled to get going in the Super Lig, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by Trabzonspor last weekend.
Goztepe have failed to win their last eight league games, a run which has seen them drop into 10th place in the table, nine points behind Besiktas in fourth place.
Besiktas vs Goztepe Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With nine wins from the last 13 meetings between the sides, Besiktas boast a clear upper hand in the history of this fixture.
- Goztepe have picked up three wins in that time, while the two teams have settled for a share of the spoils once.
- Besiktas are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 competitive home games, claiming seven wins and two draws since the start of December.
- Goztepe have won just one of their last six games on the road in all competitions while losing three and claiming two draws since late January.
Besiktas vs Goztepe Prediction
Buoyed by their huge win over rivals Galatasaray, Besiktas will return to cup action with sky-high confidence as they eye a 12th title.
Given the gulf in quality and depth between the two teams, we are backing Solskjaer’s side to come away with the desired result in front of their home supporters.
Prediction: Besiktas 3-1 Goztepe
Besiktas vs Goztepe Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Besiktas to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been three or more goals scored in six of the last eight clashes between the two sides)
Tip 3: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have also scored in five of their last seven encounters)