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

Besiktas will welcome Konyaspor to Tupras Stadium on Tuesday in the Turkish Cup semi-final, with both sides eyeing a place in the final and a realistic shot at silverware to cap their seasons.

The hosts are looking to reach the final for the second time in three years, while the visitors arrive with momentum and belief as they aim to make their first appearance in the showpiece since their 2016-17 triumph.

Match preview

Besiktas come into this encounter determined to return to the final after lifting the trophy in 2023-24, with the Turkish Cup representing their most realistic path to silverware this season.

The Black Eagles entered the competition at the group stage as one of the seeded sides, finishing top of Group C ahead of Fenerbahce, which earned them a quarter-final clash with Alanyaspor — a tie they navigated comfortably with a 3-0 victory.

Sergen Yalcin’s side head into Tuesday’s clash in steady form, having followed that cup success with a draw against Fatih Karagumruk and a 2-0 league win over Gaziantep, results that helped secure European qualification.

With that objective achieved, their full focus now shifts to the cup, and they will look to harness the energy of their home crowd to assert control against a side they have beaten in their last two meetings.

Historically, Besiktas have held the upper hand in this fixture, losing just once in their last 10 encounters with Konyaspor, including a 2-0 win the last time the two sides met in this competition at the quarter-final stage in 2024.

However, Konyaspor will draw confidence from their own history in the tournament — notably a 1-0 win over Besiktas en route to their only Turkish Cup triumph nearly a decade ago.

Unlike their more illustrious opponents, Ilhan Palut’s side began their cup journey in the third round, beating Bingolspor 4-2 before dispatching Mus Spor Kulubu 4-1 in the fourth round to reach the group stage.

They went on to finish second in Group B, setting up a quarter-final tie against Fenerbahce, where they produced a disciplined performance to secure a 1-0 victory after extra time and book their place in this semi-final.

Konyaspor’s nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions came to an end with a 3-2 league defeat to Caykur Rizespor on Friday, but with their league status secure in mid-table, they can fully commit to this cup run.

Having already shown they can upset stronger opposition, the visitors will believe another statement result is within reach as they chase a return to the final.

Besiktas Turkish Cup form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Konyaspor Turkish Cup form:

Konyaspor form (all competitions):

Team News

Besiktas are expected to be without several players due to injury concerns, with Kartal Yilmaz ruled out with a torn ankle ligament, while Milot Rashica remains a doubt after missing the last match.

Gokhan Sazdagi is also set to stay sidelined, and Necip Uysal remains doubtful, having not featured since September.

Several key players who started on the bench in the last league game are expected to return to the starting lineup, while Tiago Djalo is back in contention after previously serving a club-imposed suspension.

Konyaspor, meanwhile, will be without Josip Calusic, Guilherme Sitya and Alassane Ndao, all of whom are suspended for non-footballing reasons.

In terms of injuries, Ufuk Akyol and Blaz Kramer are sidelined with knee problems, Tunahan Tasci remains unavailable, and Riechedly Bazoer is a doubt after picking up an injury in the last match.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

Destanoglu; Bulut, Agbadou, Topcu, Ozcan; Ndidi; Rashica, Olaitan, Kokcu, Toure; Oh

Konyaspor possible starting lineup:

Ertas; Yazgili, Nagalo, Demirbag, Andzouana; Ibrahimoglu, Jevtovic; Turuc, Bardhi, Olaigbe; Muleka

We say: Besiktas 2-1 Konyaspor

Besiktas’ home advantage and superior individual quality could give them the edge in what is likely to be a tightly contested semi-final.

Konyaspor have the structure and discipline to make this difficult, but if the hosts can impose themselves early and avoid defensive lapses, they should have enough to edge through and secure a place in the final.

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