Our football match prediction:
LASK Linz
Match Time & Date:
16/08/2018
18:45 GMT
Prediction: 1-2
Besiktas
Besiktas will be looking to defend their slim lead in the tie against LASK when the two teams face each other at Linzer Stadion on Thursday evening. Ryan Babel helped the Turks record a hard-fought 1-0 win over LASK in the first leg and, no doubt, the pacey attacker will pose a big threat for the opposition defenders in the return leg. Besiktas failed to turn their dominance into more goals in the first leg, but seeing that the Austrians are likely to adopt an attack-minded approach in Thursday’s football match, we believe that the visitors will have a number of opportunities to score on the break. Besiktas are undisputedly more of a team than LASK and there is every chance the Turkish side will prove their worth on the field. Alvaro Negredo started from the bench in the first leg, but the Spanish attacker could lead the line for the visitors against LASK this time out.
Highlighted Player (Enzo Roco):
Enzo Roco is one of the young and exciting defenders coming out of Chile in the recent times. The 23-year-old started in the youth teams at Universidad Catolica and moved up the ranks. He was promoted to their first team in 2011 and in three years with them played more than 90 matches. He established himself in the first team and was an omnipresent figure at the back for the team that won Primera Division and Copa Chile titles. Roco moved to the Spanish club Elche on loan in 2014 and by the next year he was at their fellow Spanish club RCD Espanyol. Roco’s international appearance started with the under-17 squad in 2009 while his senior international debut was in 2012. He was named in the 30-man list by Jorge Sampaoli for the 2014 FIFA World Cup but was cut from the final list.
Highlighted Team (Besiktas):
Besiktas football club is one of the most successful teams in Turkey. Since its foundation in 1903, Besiktas have never been relegated to a lower rank of Turkish football. Black Eagles as they are known in Turkey play their matches at the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul which is an almost 42,000 all-seater capacity venue. Considered one of the top three football clubs in the country, Besiktas are the 14-time Super Lig champions who are entering the Champions League group stage in the 2016-17 season looking to make their presence known at the European scene. Besiktas have played in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League four times already, and are yet to progress through to the knockout sgateg in the competition that was established in today’s format in 1992. Their most outstanding European achievements of the Turkish side are the European Cup and UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1987 and 2003, respectively. During their rich history the Black Eagles have also won 9 Turkish Cups and 8 national Super Cup titles.
