Preview:Besiktas vs Istanbul Basaksehir - prediction, team news, lineups

Besiktas and Istanbul Basaksehir renew their rivalry in Saturday’s Istanbul derby, with both clubs desperate to ignite their seasons after sluggish starts.

Both sides have played just two Turkish Super Lig fixtures apiece due to their European commitments, and each went into the international break with far less than they had hoped for.

Match preview

Besiktas’ campaign has already been turbulent, with the Black Eagles parting ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only weeks into the season after a disappointing European run.

Their Europa League exit to Shakhtar Donetsk was followed by a demotion to the Conference League qualifiers, where they edged St Patrick’s Athletic before being knocked out by Swiss outfit Lausanne.

With two league games postponed, Solskjaer’s only domestic outing was a 2-1 win over Eyupspor, as the club moved swiftly to reappoint Sergen Yalcin, the coach who guided them to their last league crown in 2020-21.

However, Yalcin’s return began poorly with a 2-0 loss at Alanyaspor just before the international break, but the break is expected to have provided valuable time for the coach to assess his squad and reshape tactics.

Yalcin now seeks to help Besiktas halt a three-match winless streak across all competitions and restore confidence in the team, but their city rivals stand in the way.

Basaksehir will aim to deepen the Black Eagles’ woes and will take heart from their recent record in this fixture, unbeaten in three, with a win and two draws.

But the Grey Owls’ own form is troubling, having gone five matches without a victory in all competitions, a run that saw them eliminated from the Conference League playoffs at the hands of Universitatea Craiova.

Cagdas Atan’s position is increasingly precarious after opening the league season with a 1-1 draw against Kayserispor and a goalless stalemate with Eyupspor.

However, Basaksehir’s recent visits to Tupras Stadium provide some encouragement, with two wins and a draw from their last four trips.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Istanbul Basaksehir Turkish Super Lig form:

Istanbul Basaksehir form (all competitions):

Team News

Besiktas’ injury list grew during the international window, with summer signing Wilfred Ndidi sustaining a thigh injury while on duty with Nigeria, and now expected to miss the rest of September.

Gabriel Paulista is still recovering from a thigh problem and will remain out until late September, while Milot Rashica is also unavailable due to a muscle injury, and youngster Mustafa Erhan Hekimoglu continues to recover from a thigh issue, with both aiming for returns before the month ends.

For Basaksehir, Leo Duarte remains sidelined with a foot injury until late September, and Omer Ali Sahiner is still unavailable with a muscle issue.

On the positive side, Olivier Kemen and winger Yusuf Sari have returned to fitness and started in their previous outing, offering Atan more options in midfield and attack.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Svensson, Djalo, Uduokhai, Jurasek; Yilmaz, Kokcu; Muci, Mario, Silva; Abraham

Istanbul Basaksehir possible starting lineup:

Babacan; Operi, Ba, Opoku, Ebosele; Ergun, Ozdemir; Brnic, Crespo, Shomurodov; Selke

We say: Besiktas 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir

This derby presents a valuable chance for both teams to spark some much-needed momentum, but given their current form and the intensity of the rivalry, the contest is likely to be scrappy, and with neither side fully firing, a hard-fought draw feels the most probable result.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.