Sabasports Match Preview
Europa League: Lyon vs Besiktas
Kickoff Time: 2024-10-25 03:00(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Last weekend, Lyon achieved a resounding 4-0 victory against Le Havre away from home, marking their fifth consecutive win across all competitions, showcasing their impressive form. After a sluggish start to the season, Lyon’s competitive state has significantly improved, currently holding a record of four wins, one draw, and three losses, placing them seventh in the Ligue 1 standings. Lyon primarily employs a 4-3-3 formation, advocating for a high-pressure attacking strategy that emphasizes quick passing and pressing in the opponent’s half. Alexandre Lacazette serves as the focal point of the team’s attack, while they adopt a zonal marking strategy in defense. Statistically, Lyon has scored 14 goals and conceded only two in the last five matches, demonstrating impeccable performance on both ends. Additionally, Lyon has a strong home record, with eight wins and two losses in the last 10 home matches.
Besiktas secured a 2-0 victory against Konyaspor at home last weekend, ending a two-match win-less streak across all competitions. Currently, Besiktas remains unbeaten with a record of six wins and two draws, placing them second in the Turkish Super Lig standings. As a traditional powerhouse in Turkish football, Besiktas has performed exceptionally well in domestic league play. However, the consecutive losses in the Europa League group stage have exposed their lack of competitiveness on the European stage. In the first two rounds of the Europa League group stage, Besiktas suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat to Ajax away and then lost 1-3 to Eintracht Frankfurt at home. After two group matches, Besiktas has only managed to score one goal while conceding seven, indicating a lack of highlights in both attack and defense. This clearly shows that Besiktas’s overall strength is insufficient to compete effectively in European competitions.
Comparing the overall strength and recent form of both teams, Lyon is clearly superior to Besiktas. Moreover, Lyon’s home advantage adds to their already high confidence in securing a victory. In contrast, Besiktas’s performance in European competitions has been quite mediocre, and their overall strength struggles to manage competing on two tournaments. Therefore, it would be wise to support the on-form Lyon to continue their strong performance and secure all three points.
Lyon’s Last 5 Games: WWWWW
24-10-20 Le Havre 0-4 Lyon
24-10-06 Lyon 2-0 Nantes
24-10-04 Rangers 1-4 Lyon
24-09-29 Toulouse 1-2 Lyon
24-09-27 Lyon 2-0 Olympiacos
Besiktas’s Last 5 Games: WDLWL
24-10-20 Besiktas 2-0 Konyaspor
24-10-07 Gaziantep FK 1-1 Besiktas
24-10-04 Besiktas 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
24-10-01 Kayserispor 0-3 Besiktas
24-09-27 Ajax 4-0 Besiktas
Head To Head Record:
17-04-21 Besiktas 2-1 Lyon
17-04-14 Lyon 2-1 Besiktas
Prediction: Lyon to win