Will the Czech Republic be a stumbling block for Beşiktaş?
Anyone at Beşiktaş who shows up late to practice in the future will likely think twice—or even three times—before doing so. Under new coach Vincenzo Italiano, a much stricter regime has been in place since this summer. Fines, clear rules, and even mandatory team meals are intended to strengthen team spirit and raise professionalism to a new level. The Italian is overhauling the storied club according to his vision and aims to turn the “Black Eagles” back into serious title contenders.
It remains to be seen whether these measures will pay off in the long run. The fact is, however, that the first positive signs are already visible. Even ahead of the first leg of the third qualifying round for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League between Hradec Králové and Beşiktaş, bets on the Turks are significantly more popular than a potential bet on the hosts.
Beşiktaş strategically strengthened its roster over the summer and now boasts a market value many times greater than that of Hradec Králové. Nearly 70 million euros were spent on new players such as Nübel, Trossard, and Kökcu. Their ambitions are correspondingly high. Following a disappointing previous season, the club aims to play a significantly stronger role both domestically and internationally.
The Turks already impressively demonstrated in the previous qualifying round that they are on the right track. Against the top Danish club Midtjylland, they secured two composed victories (1-0 and 2-0) without ever being seriously threatened. In my opinion, the prediction for the match between Hradec Králové and Beşiktaş should therefore favor the visitors. It’s also worth noting that this is the first time since the 1995–96 season—excluding the Intertoto Cup—that the Czech club has competed on the European stage. International experience thus clearly favors the “Kara Kartallar.”
As for the black-and-whites from the Czech Republic—who finished fourth in the championship round last year and are now celebrating their comeback on the international stage—their performance in the previous round wasn’t quite as impressive. The two wins against the Norwegian team Tromsø shouldn’t obscure the fact that Hradec Králové had the necessary bit of luck on their side in both cases.
In their surprising 1-0 away win in Norway, the Czechs needed just one shot on goal and only about a third of the possession to secure the maximum points. The 3-1 victory in the return leg also turned out to be more decisive than the course of the game would suggest. Hradec played with tremendous efficiency but was by no means superior in terms of play.
Against an opponent with the individual quality of Beşiktaş, the exposed weaknesses will carry more weight. I also consider it rather unlikely that they’ll display the same level of efficiency. That’s why, ahead of the first leg between Hradec Králové and Beşiktaş, I particularly like the odds on the match combo X2 & Under 3.5 goals.
Hradec Králové – Beşiktaş Head-to-Head Record
There has never been a head-to-head match between Hradec Králové and Beşiktaş in a competitive game. For the Czechs, this matchup is a historic moment in any case; after all, the club only celebrated its return to the international stage this season after roughly three decades. Beşiktaş, on the other hand, is a regular in UEFA competitions, albeit with limited success recently. Nevertheless, the betting odds for Hradec Králové versus Beşiktaş favor the “Black Eagles” advancing by a wide margin. At Betano, for example, you’ll only get odds of 1.16 if the Turks reach the playoffs. There, incidentally, the winner of the Dinamo Zagreb vs. Zalgiris matchup would be waiting.
Hradec Králové – Beşiktaş Prediction
Whether Vincenzo Italiano will once again invite the team to a mandatory dinner after an away win in the Czech Republic—or whether his squad will be allowed to head home without a lecture this time—will become clear on Thursday evening. In any case, the odds clearly favor Beşiktaş.
The Turks already showed surprising maturity and composure against Midtjylland, while Hradec Králové had that little bit of luck on their side in both matches against Tromsø, despite advancing. Added to that is the “Black Eagles’” vast international experience, which the hosts simply lack in this form.
My Hradec Králové vs. Beşiktaş prediction therefore targets X2 & Under 3.5 goals. I expect a controlled performance from the visitors, who will aim to secure a strong starting position for the second leg in Istanbul without taking any unnecessary risks.
