Goal festival the second. Or will there be respect in the decider?
The first leg in Switzerland can safely be described as one of the more entertaining in the current qualifying phase for the Europa League. If things continue like this, the prediction that Besiktas and Lugano will score plenty of goals can’t be entirely wrong
One reason why the first game was such a brute force on the goal counter is probably to be found in the coaches’ playing philosophies. Both sides are committed to attacking soccer, so it should come as no surprise that our Besiktas vs Lugano prediction for the second leg also points to a draw
A look at the recent performances of the opponents also supports the odds on a home win for Besiktas and Lugano. The 3-3 draw in the first duel was the Turks’ first point loss of the new season
Besiktas – statistics & current form
Turkish soccer has been defined by big transfers in recent years. Gala have won the title several times with a star-studded squad and Fener have also caused a stir with “The Special One”. The Eagles, on the other hand, have flexed their muscles on the pitch in the first few weeks, especially in attack. After all, Besiktas currently play the most dangerous attacking soccer on the Bosphorus and are happy to play forward.
If Besiktas and Lugano are predicted to be a high-scoring game, then this is primarily to do with the Black & Whites’ attack. They acquired a star in the form of Ciro Immobile in the summer and the old man is looking younger than ever.
Galatasaray were shredded 5-0 in the Super Cup and the new striker netted twice, the first time after just one minute. With two more goals against Antalyaspor, he now has four goals to his name. However, the hosts have scored a staggering 14 goals in the four competitive games alone, which means an average of around 3.5 goals for the Eagles. If anyone is hot right now, it’s this storm
Besiktas want revenge for last year
The fact that success is currently being achieved must be attributed mainly to the attack. Defensively, the Eagles are only doing so well to a limited extent. Although they kept a clean sheet in the Super Cup and the league opener against Samsunspor, they conceded a whopping five goals in their next two matches.
So it’s no great wonder that the odds on Besiktas and Lugano scoring goals are popular, but also manageably high. In an attacking 4-3-3, the Turks are visually appealing and have enough forward movement, but there are also gaps in the defense.
It will be interesting to see how new coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad deal with this. In the second leg in their own stadium, they will have to play the game and not go completely over the top. They may be the clear favorites, but they already lost to Lugano at home in last year’s Conference League group stage.
Predicted Besiktas line-up:
Günok – Svensson, Gabriel Paulista, Uysal, Masuaku – Al Musrati, Ndour – Rashica, Fernandes, Rafa Silva – Immobile
Lugano – Statistics & current form
If Swiss movements are precise, then Lugano are probably a foundling when it comes to the sequence of results. Although the hosts already have some good arguments for betting on goals, those are now multiplied by the arrival of the Swiss. After all, if there is one team that cultivates a really wild style, it is probably the visitors.
The season has been underway in Switzerland since the end of July and the Swiss have already played ten games in various competitions. The result? Not a single game without a goal and between one and eight goals per game.
Anyone thinking of this as an outlier should note that four or more goals have been scored in a total of six appearances. The 4-2-3-1 is therefore interpreted more as offensive. As a result, Besiktas and Lugano’s prediction of a goalscoring bonanza is quite valid and the neutral observer will be delighted
Lugano’s defense always in trouble
When you look at the visitors’ high scores, it quickly becomes clear that this is not just a potent offense on the pitch. There is also a massive defensive problem, at least sometimes.
A total of 19 goals have already been conceded in various competitions. If you take the Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahce as an example, they have now conceded nine goals in three games against Turkish representatives alone. But the second leg away from home is yet to come.
The back line simply has to be more compact in their own penalty area and eliminate their positioning errors and lack of concentration. Even in the Swiss Cup against the lower league team SC Brühl (7:1) they conceded a goal. In the long run, this will not only jeopardize the team’s promotion, but also fuel the goal counter.
Predicted Lugano line-up:
Saipi – Valenzuela, Hajdari, Papadopoulos, Zanotti – Belhadj Mahmoud, Doumbia, Bislimi – Aliseda, Vladi, Steffen
Besiktas – Lugano head-to-head comparison / H2H result
The direct duel already took place in the previous season. And it was extremely heated. The Eagles narrowly prevailed with a total score of 4:3 after one win and one defeat. So what runs through the games to this day are the noticeable swings on the goal counter. 7 cards were handed out, Steffen and Oxlade-Chamberlain both received red cards, and Rosier was also sent off in the second leg
Besiktas – Lugano betting tip
One year later, we can therefore expect a high-scoring game in the Besiktas vs Lugano betting odds. A tip that probably makes more sense than a handicap. Neither the defense nor the offense have suggested anything else so far and so betting on shots on target can become a free bet.
Despite the close first leg, Tip 1 is the clear favorite ahead of the second leg between Besiktas and Lugano. Home field, temperature, atmosphere and, above all, such a high-paced offense make this seem almost inevitable. But caution is advised. There were already two away wins in last year’s duel
