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Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk will trade tackles in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League qualification tie on Thursday (July 24th). The game will be played at Tupras Stadium.
The home side have not been in action since wrapping up their Turkish Super Lig campaign with a 4-0 away win over Bodrumspor. They were three goals up at the break, with Mustafa Hekimoglu scoring either side of Gedson Fernandes' 27th-minute goal. Joao Mario completed the rout from the spot in the 71st minute.
Shakhtar Donetsk, meanwhile, played out a goalless draw away to Ilves in the second leg of their qualification tie in the last round. They qualified with a 6-0 aggregate win, having ran riot in a 6-0 home win in the first leg.
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Besiktas received a bye to this stage. The winner of this tie faces the loser of the UEFA Champions League tie between Rangers and Panathinaikos. The losers will drop to the UEFA Conference League.
Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides.
- Four of Besiktas' last six games have produced three goals or more.
- Shakhtar Donetsk are winless in their last five away games (four losses).
- Six of Besiktas' last seven home games in the Europa League have seen both sides find the back of the net.
- Shakhtar are unbeaten in their last nine games, drawing six games in this sequence.
- Besiktas alternated between a win and loss in their five home games in the Europa League last season.
Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Prediction
Besiktas did not have the best of pre-season campaigns. They began with a win over St. Polten but failed to win any of the following three games, losing the last two. Advancing to the next round would be a tough task for the Black Eagles. The Istanbul outfit will be aiming to make the most of playing the first leg in front of their fans.
Shakhtar Donetsk, for their part, ran riot in the first leg in the last round. They are unlikely to have another easy ride against vastly superior opposition.
Back the home side to claim a narrow victory with goals at both ends.
Prediction: Besiktas 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals
