Tottenham v Besiktas: Preview, Kick-off, Team News

Tottenham face a difficult challenge in their opening home Europa League group match against Besiktas of Turkey. All four teams in Group C have one point following draws in the first matches of the group stage.

Spurs and Besiktas have met on one previous occasion. The match took place in Turkey in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup. Spurs returned home triumphant with a 2 – 0 win courtesy of goals scored in each half by Hossam Ghaly and Dimitar Berbatov.

Update: Tonight’s Team:

Lloris, Dier, Chiriches, Fazio, Davies, Bentaleb, Stambouli; Kane, Paulinho, Townsend; Soldado

Subs: Vorm, Kaboul, Naughton, Dembele, Lamela, Lennon, Adebayor

Related Article:

Dimitar Berbatov: The Star When Spurs Last Met Besiktas – Read more

Tottenham Hotspur v Besiktas (Turkey) Europa League Group C: Match 2

Thursday, 2nd October, 2014

Kick-off:  20.05pm (UK Time)

Television: ITV4 here

Besiktas

www.footballpictures.net

While Tottenham and Besiktas have only played on one previous occasion, the Turkish side are no strangers to playing English clubs. This will be their second visit to north London this season, having lost on aggregate to Arsenal in the Play-off Round of the Champions League in August.

They defeated Feyenoord in both games in the previous round for a 5 – 2 aggregate success. Demba Ba who signed from Chelsea in the summer, scored a hat-trick in the 3 – 1 home win. Besiktas drew 0 – 0 with Arsenal in the 1st leg in Turkey but lost by a single goal scored on the stroke of half-time at the Emirates.

Record Against English Clubs:

P  14  W  4  D  3  L  7  For  11  Ag  27

[Stats from: EuroCupHistory.com]

In 2011, Besiktas were drawn in the same Europa League group as Stoke City. They lost 1 – 2 in Stoke when Peter Crouch scored one of the home side’s goals but triumphed 3 – 1 in the return match.

Two years earlier, Besiktas were drawn with Manchester United in a Champions League group. United won by a single goal in Istanbul but Besiktas won the match at Old Trafford by a similar scoreline.

In 2007, Besiktas defeated Liverpool in Turkey in the Champions League but lost heavily (0 – 8) at Anfield.

In the UEFA Cup in 2005 Besiktas and Bolton Wanderers drew 1 – 1 in Turkey but in 2003, they defeated Chelsea 2 – 0 at Stamford Bridge in a Champions League game. In earlier European competitions Besiktas have also faced Leeds United in 2000 and Aston Villa in 1982.

This season Besiktas are undefeated in the Turkish Super Lig with 8 points after 4 games. They have drawn 1 – 1 in both home games while winning their away matches 1 – 0. Last weekend they drew with Eskişehirspor.

In their first Group stage match against Asteras Tripolis of Greece, Besiktas took a first half lead but saw their advantage wiped out with an equaliser two minutes from time.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham

Having taken a point from the away game in Serbia against Partisan Belgrade, Spurs will be hoping to take advantage of playing at White Hart Lane to claim 3 points against the second-seeded team in the group.

Mauricio Pochettino made 10 changes for the last Europa League game but may retain more of last Saturday’s team for this match as an acknowledgement of the strength of Besiktas. He, however, will be conscious that Spurs have lost their last two home games in the Premier League and that the next opponents are his former club Southampton so he will be anxious for a good performance and result on Sunday.

The Head Coach will again try to balance and rotate his squad to send out teams which are capable of winning both matches. Pochettino could possibly strengthen his ‘mid-week’ team with a  number of players who he regards as first choice in the team for the Premier League.

In what could prove a very tight Europa League group, winning at home could be essential for qualification to the knock-out stages of the competition.

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Team News

Spurs have no real concerns over fitness in the squad. Long-term absentee, Kyle Walker, is still out and only Danny Rose is a doubt having come off early against Arsenal at the weekend. Ben Davies, however, is probably likely to start whether Rose is available or not.

Spurs will be hoping for a win to strengthen their position in the group against a team who will have high aspirations to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League. Besiktas’ record this season shows that they are short of goals apart from the early Champions League games against Feyenoord and that they have been very tight defensively. Besitkas have scored 10 goals in 9 matches while conceding only 6 goals. With such a record Spurs can expect a solid defensive display from the visitors and we are all well aware of the capabilities of Demba Ba as a goalscorer.

In a close game I would expect Tottenham to win but it will require considerable effort and application from the players but it could turn out like the 2012-13 Europa League campaign when we met Lazio with both games, home ands away, ending scoreless.