Our prediction for this match:
Besiktas
Match Time & Date:
12/07/2018
12:00 PM
Prediction: 2-2
Shakhtar Donetsk
Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk, the two teams who participated in the Champions League last term, face each other at TBC stadium in Austria in a friendly match. Several Besiktas were on the international duty at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals and they are likely to be rested in Thursday’s football match. The Turkish side played out a 1-1 draw with Siofok in their first warm-up game in pre-season and they now face a difficult task in the friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Miners are undefeated in pre-season and we predict that they are going to extend their unbeaten run on Thursday. The two teams seem to be evenly matched at the moment and we believe that they are going to play out a draw in Austria. You should bear in mind that the two sides have never met before in a friendly.
Highlighted Player (Gary Medel):
Gary Medel is a versatile defensive midfielder who currently plays for Inter Milan in Serie A. The Chilean professional is well-known for this work-rate and untiring approach along with his aggressive, physically demanding and hard-tackling style of play. It is these qualities that earned him the sobriquet of “Chilean Pitbull”.
Medel started his professional career with Universidad Catolica as a youth player before moving to Boca Juniors. He followed it up with a stint in La Liga with Sevilla. Medel was also a key member with Cardiff City, which was his next destination. The relegation of Cardiff meant that Medel moved to Inter Milan. A full international with over 80 caps for Chile, Medel has represented his nation at two FIFA World Cups and an equal number of Copa America tournaments.
He was a key member of Chilean team that won the 2015 Copa America and was subsequently named in the ‘Team of the tournament’.
Highlighted Team (Shakhtar Donetsk):
Despite the fact that they were founded back in 1936, Shakhtar Donetsk were struggling to win the Ukrainian Premier League trophy until 2002. The Miners have established themselves as the dominant force in Ukrainian football and it has to be noted that they won their ninth domestic trophy in 2014.
Shakhtar Donetsk were playing at Donbass Arena in the past, but due to war in Donbass the club temporarily moved to Arena Lviv. In 2009 the Miners won the UEFA Cup trophy under Romanian boss Mircea Lucescu, beating Werder Bremen in the title game. Croatian full back Dario Srna was named the man of the match. Dynamo Kiev are considered Shakhtar Donetsk’s main rivals and there have always been fireworks in meetings between the two sides.
Shakhtar have a rivalry with Metalurh Donetsk as well and the two local rivals face each other in the Donetsk Derby. Chelsea ace Willian, Manchester United star Mkhitaryan and Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho all played for Shakhtar in the past.
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