This Thursday, 31 August, the return match of the play-off round of the Conference League qualification between local Besiktas and Dynamo Kyiv will take place at the Besiktas Park stadium in Istanbul. Turkish football expert Alaaddin Güven Memis spoke about the chances of the Ukrainian team to reach the group stage of the tournament despite the result of the first match (2:3).
Alaaddin Güven MemişThe result of the first match (3:2, a win for Besiktas) still leaves Dynamo with a great chance to achieve overall success in Istanbul. Dynamo still have every chance to qualify for the group stage!
Both teams did not play matches in their respective national championships last weekend. So, both Dynamo and Besiktas not only managed to have a rest after the first meeting, but the whole week they were purposefully preparing for the return match. So I am sure that in Istanbul we will see constructive football played by both teams.
If Dynamo had played more effectively in attack in the first half an hour of the match in Bucharest, the outcome of that meeting would have been quite different. And now there is no choice: Kyiv team will have to play on the attack, and Besiktas will act on counterattacks. In such matches, the first 30 minutes are of particular importance.
As for Besiktas, in the first match with Dynamo five players of the Istanbul team - Kolli, Hadziahmetovic, Fernandes, Abubakar and Zainutdinov, who came on as a substitute in the second half - fully revealed their potential. But what about Besiktas' squad for the return leg?
Amarti and Masuaku are injured. Instead of the former, Gunesh has no-one to replace him. Perhaps the choice will fall on Nedzip Uysal. And Masuaku will probably be replaced by Uzbekistani Zainutdinov.
In attack this time, Rashica will most likely play from the first minutes. He can be very effective, quick and efficient in counterplay when the opponent acts first, and Dinamo will surely go on the attack from the start of the match. That said, I think Tosun will replace Abubakar in the second half.
In the first match Gunesh did not give a chance to Rebic. I think this time he will come on as a second half substitute instead of Muleka.
Otherwise, the Besiktas lineup will probably be the same as in the first match with Dinamo
In Bucharest, Dinamo had every chance to score more than two goals, but failed to realise their chances. In the return match, Vanatu and the rest of the attacking players need to take advantage of the mistakes of the Besiktas defenders more effectively. This is the weakest line of the Istanbul team. But Dynamo's opponent will be very determined to reach the group stage: in the current Turkish championship Besiktas will have little chance to win the title, so the main bet is on the European Cup campaign.
As for the prediction for this match, I think both teams will score, and the outcome of the meeting will probably be a draw.
Alaaddin Güven Memiş for Dynamo.kiev.ua
