Midtjylland had a great run in the Europa League last season and kept the core of that roster. I feel they are heavily underestimated against inconsistent Besiktas.
Key Stats
- Besiktas are winless in 7 of their last 8 matches (including pre-season).
- Besiktas have seen BTTS in their last 2 matches.
- Midtjylland have won 5 of their last 7 matches (including pre-season).
No Previous Meetings
This is going to be the first head to head match between Besiktas and Midtjylland.
Besiktas Didn’t Look Good in Pre-Season
This is going to be the first competitive matches for Besitkas this season, while their results in recent friendlies were quite disappointing, winning just one out of five encounters.
They are hoping to be more competitive in the Turkish Super Lig this season under new head manager Vincenzo Italiano who was appointed in early June.
The Black Eagles wrapped up the previous campaign in 4th place with just 60 points accumulated through 34 rounds, performing equally at home and on the road.
Midtjylland Had a Great Run in UEL Last Season
Midtjylland lost the Danish Superliga title race to AGF Aarhus last season in a dramatic fashion after failing to win a single match in the last four rounds.
They had more success in the Danish Cup, beating FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the grand finals to lift the trophy. Han Beom Lee scored the only goal in the 82nd minute on Doguhan Simsir’s assist.
The Wolves delivered great results in the pre-season, beating Lillestrom 1-0, Silkeborg 4-2, Cardiff 6-0 and Odense 4-1, while the only draw was recorded against Malmo 2-2.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Besiktas (4-2-3-1) Alexander Nubel; Onur Bulut, Tiago Djalo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Ridvan Yilmaz; Wilfred Ndidi, Salih Ozcan; Vaclav Cerny, Orkun Kokcu, Ilhan Fakili; Semih Kilicsoy
Besiktas' biggest signing (so far) Leandro Trossard will miss this match due to poor fitness. It is rumoured that Mohamed Salah might join the club in upcoming weeks.
Midtjylland (3-4-3) Elias Olafsson; Han-beom Lee, Ousmane Diao, Rasmus Kristensen; Dario Osorio, Philip Billing, Pedro Bravo, Oliver Byskov; Denil Castillo, Franculino Dju, Friday Etim
Mads Bech Sorensen is the only absentee for the Danish side, recovering from a knee injury.
Mads Bech Sorensen is the only absentee for the Danish side, recovering from a knee injury.