Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Basaksehir and Riga square off against each other in Istanbul in somewhat of a David-vs-Goliath clash. The Turks aim to cement top position in Group A, and we are positive that they will adopt an attack-minded approach in Thursday’s clash. Veteran midfielder Mesut Ozil remains in the recovery room, but Mahmut Tekdemir is back from a domestic ban. It has to be noted that Basaksehir have conceded only one goal in total in all competitions this term.
The Latvian side, on the other hand, did well to hold Emre Belozoglu’s troops to a goalless draw at Skonto Stadions, but they will have a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture. Important midfielder Tomas Simkovic is banned for the match, which is yet another reason why we are going to put our money on the Turkish outfit this time out. There are no fresh injury worries in the away side ahead of the trip to Istanbul.
Highlighted Player (Mesut Ozil):
Mesut Ozil gained international recognition at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The attacking midfielder impressed with Germany at the showpiece tournament and, as a result, Real Madrid chiefs decided to sign him.
Ozil won the 2011/2012 La Liga trophy with los Blancos and, against all odds, the club bosses decided to sell him to Arsenal at the end of the 2012/2013 campaign. The Turkish-born player scored 19 goals for Real Madrid in 105 appearances for the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu outfit.
On the other hand, Mesut Ozil has yet to win the Premier League with Arsenal, but he helped North London club lift two FA Cup titles (2013/2014, 2014/2015). In 2014 Ozil lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy with Germany and, no doubt, that is regarded as the biggest success of his career. The German international used to play for Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 in the past as well.