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

On Saturday, Besiktas welcome a struggling Konyaspor side to Tupras Stadium in the Turkish Super Lig, aiming to stretch their impressive unbeaten run as they continue their push towards the top four.

The Black Eagles have not tasted defeat in their last 10 matches across all competitions (6W, 4D), with eight of those coming in the league (4W, 4D), and by contrast, the visitors arrive in Istanbul without a league victory since October, a run that now spans nine matches (5D, 4L).

Match preview

While Besiktas’ resurgence under Sergen Yalcin has been built on consistency, recent weeks have been dominated by a significant squad overhaul that has seen both their leading goalscorer and chief creator depart in the same transfer window.

Tammy Abraham, the club’s top scorer with seven league goals, has completed a reported £18m move to Aston Villa, while influential playmaker Rafa Silva has returned to Benfica, with up to five players leaving the Black Eagles this January, either permanently or on loan.

Despite those high-profile exits, Yalcin’s side have largely maintained their momentum – they were, however, made to work hard in their last league outing, with Cengiz Under’s 76th-minute strike required to rescue a 2-2 draw away to Eyupspor.

The Istanbul side currently sit fifth in the table on 33 points, just three adrift of the top four, but given their recent form and resilience, they remain strong contenders to secure a European place by the end of the campaign.

This fixture presents a favourable opportunity to keep the pressure on those above them, especially against a Konyaspor team Besiktas have beaten in five of the last six meetings, including a comfortable 2-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Konyaspor, meanwhile, travel with little cause for optimism, as their last league win at this venue came more than a decade ago, and their overall situation remains precarious.

Despite the appointment of Cagdas Atan in November, the Anatolian Eagles are still searching for their first Super Lig victory under the new manager, and their last three league matches have all ended in 1-1 draws, against Kayserispor, Eyupspor and Gaziantep.

There is some consolation in the fact that Konyaspor are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, a run that includes two Turkish Cup wins – however, that sequence has done little to ease concerns about their league form.

Sitting 13th with 19 points from as many matches, the Konya side are only four points clear of the relegation zone, and a continuation of their current slide could quickly see that cushion eroded.

Besiktas Turkish Super Lig form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Konyaspor Turkish Super Lig form:

Konyaspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Besiktas are expected to remain without Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who has not featured since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations amid reports he is pushing for a move before the transfer window closes.

Teenage defender Yasin Ozcan, on loan from Aston Villa, is also a doubt as he continues to recover from injury.

Konyaspor’s only confirmed absentee is Ufuk Akyol, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since October.

South Korean midfielder Jin-ho Jo will miss the match through suspension after accumulating yellow cards, having been booked again in the draw with Gaziantep.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanolglu; Sazdagi, Djalo, Topcu, Yilmaz; K. Yilmaz, Kokcu; Rashica, Cerny, J. Silva; Toure

Konyaspor possible starting lineup:

Gungordu; Andzouana, Yazgili, Demirbag, Guilherme; Kutlu, Bjorlo; Turuc, Svendsen, Muleka; Nayir

We say: Besiktas 2-0 Konyaspor

Besiktas should have enough to continue their strong run despite recent squad changes, especially against a Konyaspor side short on confidence and goals.

The hosts’ consistency under Yalcin and their excellent record in this fixture point towards another positive result – with no draws in the last six meetings between these sides, we expect another winner, with the home side being strong favourites.

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