Will the Ukrainians seal the deal in Krakow?
Although Shakhtar Donetsk will once again have to play a home game on neutral ground, more precisely at the Reymana Stadium in Krakow, the Hirnyky are still in an excellent position thanks to their 4-2 away win in the first leg. Even if Shakhtar Donetsk beat Besiktas by just one goal, the Ukrainians would still advance to the third qualifying round of the Europa League, where they would face the loser of the match between Panathinaikos Athens and Glasgow Rangers.
There is not much to suggest that the Turks will manage another turnaround against Shakhtar Donetsk. After all, the “Kara Kartallar” have won only one of their last six European away games (one draw, four defeats). Their only victory – a 1-0 win at Lyon in last year’s Europa League group stage – would not be enough in terms of results. The last time the Bosporus kickers won away from home by two goals was in the 2023/24 Conference League at Lugano (2-0) – a result that would now only take them into extra time.
Although the situation looks hopeless from a Turkish perspective, it obviously won’t help anyone if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team now buries its head in the sand. Instead, the “Kara Kartallar” must give it their all once again in Krakow. After all, relegation to the Conference League qualifiers would be a bitter disappointment for the fourth-placed team in last season’s Süper Lig.
Shakhtar Donetsk – statistics & current form
Shakhtar Donetsk may have failed to defend their domestic double this summer, finishing third in the league, but at least the cup went to the “Hirnyky” (meaning “the miners”), which earned the former UEFA Cup winners (2009) and Champions League quarter-finalists (2011) the right to start in the Europa League qualifiers.
Under new coach Arda Turan – who, interestingly, has close ties to Besiktas’ city rivals Galatasaray – the team got off to a flying start in the first round. With a total score of 6-0, the “Kroty” (meaning “moles”) eliminated Finnish underdogs Ilves Tampere. Now, with a 4-2 away win on the Bosporus, the Ukrainians have set the course for advancing to the third qualifying round.
Shakhtar Donetsk with performance explosion on the Bosporus
The Hirnyky were finally able to end their dry spell on foreign soil. The Orange and Blacks had played six international away games in a row without a win (two draws, four defeats). Above all, they failed to score in three of their last five away games. Their turbo start on the Bosporus was therefore all the more surprising, with the score already 2-0 after just half an hour.
Considering that three of the last four European home games were won on neutral ground (one defeat) even without a real home advantage, everything now suggests that the two-goal lead will be successfully defended in Krakow. The betting providers also agree. At Bet-at-home, where you can currently claim a Bet-at-home voucher, the odds for Shakhtar Donetsk against Besiktas are just 1.04 that the “Kroty” will qualify for the third round of the Europa League qualifiers.
Predicted lineup for Shakhtar Donetsk:
Riznyk – Henrique, Matviyenko, Bondar, Konoplia – Gomes – Kevin, Sudakov, Ocheretko, Alisson – Eguinaldo
Besiktas – Statistics & current form
There has been trouble brewing at Besiktas Istanbul for some time now. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the “Kara Kartallar” (Black Eagles) were overtaken by Samsunspor on the very last day of the Süper Lig and ended a title-less season in fourth place in the final table. Although a transfer offensive was launched afterwards and Tammy Abraham, who also scored his first goal in the first leg, was signed from AS Roma as the most expensive new signing in the club’s history, the results in the preseason raised big questions.
Among other things, the Black and Whites lost 1-2 in their dress rehearsal against a Slovakian second division team. While it could be argued that these were merely meaningless friendly matches, the 2-4 home defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk has made it clear that, despite the much-celebrated comeback of superstar Orkun Kökcu, something is clearly not right within the team.
Besiktas with poor international away record
However, the “Kara Kartallar” don’t have much time to regain their former strength, which is why the odds are very poor for the Turks to turn things around against Shakhtar Donetsk. The odds for a two-goal victory in Krakow, which would at least take the game into extra time, are 5.50 in the Bet365 app.
This is not surprising, as the players from the Turkish city have lost four of their last six European away games (one win, one draw). Moreover, their only victory during this period was a 1-0 win at Olympique Lyon – a result that, as we all know, would not be enough to make up for the 2-4 home defeat in the first leg. With a week and a half to go before the start of the Süper Lig, it would nevertheless be a huge confidence boost for Solskjaer’s team if they could pull off a minor miracle in Poland.
Predicted Besiktas line-up:
Günok – Jurásek, Uduokhai, Paulista, Svensson – Kökcü, Tiknaz – Fernandes, Silva, Rashica – Abraham
Shakhtar Donetsk – Besiktas Head-to-head record / H2H record
Last Thursday’s first leg on the Bosporus was the first and only competitive match between the two clubs to date. Shakhtar Donetsk leads the head-to-head record thanks to their 4-2 away win in Istanbul.
Shakhtar Donetsk – Besiktas Tip
In the run-up to the second leg, the betting odds from the top bookmakers are also in favor of Shakhtar Donetsk against Besiktas, who, although without a real home advantage, start with a two-goal lead. Meanwhile, the visitors from the Bosporus are not particularly dangerous away from home. The “Kara Kartallar” have lost four of their last six European away games (one win, one draw).
Nevertheless, it is to be expected that the Turks will give it another go in Krakow. Accordingly, the prediction for Shakhtar Donetsk against Besiktas is that there will be no feeling-out phase and that the game will get off to a flying start, making bets on a high-scoring second leg very popular.
We are leaning towards a tip that there will be over 2.5 goals, which we are betting on at VBET at odds of 1.52 with five out of ten units.
