Preview:Besiktas vs Kocaelispor - prediction, team news, lineups

Besiktas and Kocaelispor will square off at Tupras Stadium on Monday evening as round seven of the Turkish Super Lig comes to a close.

The Black Eagles are aiming to record back-to-back league wins for the first time this season after dismantling Kayserispor 4-0 in their rescheduled midweek

Match preview

Despite travelling to Kayserispor with 10 players missing through injury and registration rules, Besiktas delivered their most convincing performance of the season, sealing a first clean sheet in the process.

Portuguese playmaker Rafa Silva netted his first career hat-trick, while former Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham ended his five-match goal drought, both players responding after manager Sergen Yalcin held private talks with them in the build-up.

Having alternated between wins and defeats in the league this term, Besiktas will now target successive victories, and a struggling Kocaelispor side offers the perfect opportunity.

Memories of their 7-1 friendly triumph in 2019 will provide added confidence, while they are unbeaten in 10 top-flight meetings against the Gulf club dating back to 2008-09.

At Tupras Stadium, the Black Eagles have already shown resilience, with stoppage-time winners sealing 2-1 victories over Eyupspor and Istanbul Basaksehir – and now with a huge derby against Galatasaray on the horizon, building momentum is key.

Kocaelispor, meanwhile, are desperate to become the first side to stop Besiktas at home this season, but their form suggests otherwise.

Ahead of Monday’s clash, Selcuk Inan has pointed to gaps in the Besiktas defence that his side will look to exploit; however, with defeats in all three of their away fixtures so far, asking his team to take anything from their trip to Tupras Stadium feels like a tall order.

Inan’s men have collected only two points from a possible 18 this season, failing to win a match and ranking joint-lowest for goals scored (three) while also sitting among the highest for red cards (two).

The Gulf side have not led a game all season, salvaging both of their draws from losing positions, including last weekend’s 1-1 result against Rizespor, where Bruno Petkovic’s penalty deep into first-half stoppage time ensured a point, but their winless away record makes this trip a daunting one.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Kocaelispor Turkish Super Lig form:

Team News

Besiktas welcomed Orkun Kokcu and Wilfred Ndidi back for the Kayserispor clash, both making notable contributions, and more players are expected to return on Monday.

However, the hosts remain without Ege Tiknaz, who is sidelined with bone edema, while Salih Ucan and Mustafa Erhan Hekimoglu are racing to be fit in time.

Academy graduate Devrim Sahin made his senior debut last time out and the left-winger will hope for more minutes in this clash.

For Kocaelispor, Mateusz Wieteska, Massadio Haidara and Karol Linetty remain unavailable, while Ahmet Oguz is a doubt after missing the last match with a muscle issue.

Meanwhile, Austrian forward Can Keles returns from suspension following his red card against Gaziantep, and should provide a boost in attack alongside top-scorer Petkovic.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Gunok; Svensson, Topcu, Uduokhai, Jurasek; Ndidi, Kokcu; Toure, Silva, Rashica; Abraham

Kocaelispor possible starting lineup:

Jovanovic; Dijksteel, Balogh, Smolcic, Cinan; Show, Keita; Rivas, Bingol, Churlinov; Petkovic

We say: Besiktas 2-0 Kocaelispor

Besiktas come into this clash full of confidence after thrashing Kayserispor, and backed by their strong home record and an unbeaten run against Kocaelispor in the Super Lig, the Black Eagles look well-placed to secure another win against a visiting side lacking in quality.

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