Does BVB aggravate the crisis of the Turks?
In the last match of Group C of the Champions League, nothing is at stake between Borussia Dortmund and Besiktas Istanbul. The Westphalians no longer have a chance of finishing second, while the Turks, who are the only participants in this year’s group stage of the top flight to have lost all five of their matches, are last in the group early on.
In any case, Sergen Yalcin’s side come to Signal Iduna Park with a chip on their shoulder. The Turks have been waiting for another win for seven competitive matches and have even lost six of their last seven games. In the run-up to the match between Dortmund and Besiktas, the odds are clearly in favour of the black and yellow team.
Dortmund’s exit from the preliminary round was sealed in particular in the last two games, which they lost 3-1 against Ajax Amsterdam and Sporting Lisbon. In total, the black-and-yellows have lost two of their last three home games in the Champions League – as many defeats as in the 14 previous home games combined.
However, with nothing at stake for the out-of-form visitors, it still makes a lot of sense to bet on a safe home win for Borussia against Besiktas.
Dortmund – Statistics & current form
Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League back in 1997 and last reached the final once more in 2013. This year, however, Borussia’s only option is to spend the winter in the Europa League, where they will compete in the intermediate round at the end of February for a place in the round of 16.
The Black and Yellows have lost three of their five group matches in the top flight, and in their last match against Besiktas Istanbul, they are sure to finish third in the group and will only be playing for prestige.
Lost four of their last six competitive matches
When BVB suffered a disappointing 3-2 home defeat to FC Bayern in the German classic at the weekend, the Westphalians could have knocked them off top spot in the table if they had won at home.
Instead, as in the recent 1-2 defeat at runners-up RB Leipzig, there was another setback that has seen the black-and-yellows lose four of their last six competitive games (two wins). In fact, there may be nothing at stake against the Turks. Nevertheless, the Rose eleven would like to say goodbye with a victory and recharge their self-confidence.
Four defeats in last 17 CL home games
Also with a view to remaining in the Europa League, the aim is to turn Signal Iduna Park into a fortress again. Two of the last three home games in the top flight were lost there. This makes a total of four defeats in the last 17 home games at international level (eight wins, five draws).
Against the Turks, who have lost all five of their group games so far, the black-and-yellows are still the clear favourites. A very promising bet for Dortmund against Besiktas is therefore that BVB will win by at least two goals.
Predicted line-up of Dortmund:
Kobel – Guerreiro – Hummels – Akanji – Meunier – Schulz – Bellingham – Dahoud – Wolf – Reus – Malen
Last matches played by Dortmund:
1st Bundesliga
12/04 2021 – Borussia Dortmund 2 – 3 Bayern Munich
11/27 2021 – Vfl Wolfsburg 1 – 3 Borussia Dortmund
Champions League Grp. C
11/24 2021 – Sporting CP 3 – 1 Borussia Dortmund
1st Bundesliga
11/20 2021 – Borussia Dortmund 2 – 1 VfB Stuttgart
11/06 2021 – RB Leipzig 2 – 1 Borussia Dortmund
Besiktas – Statistics & current form
Denkbare knapp vor Stadtrivale Galatasaray celebrated Besiktas Istanbul just so on the home straight with the better goal difference by one the 21st national championship in Turkey. The jubilation around coach Sergen Yalcin, who only took over at the end of January 2021 and even won the double with the capital, was correspondingly great.
However, the 49-year-old is currently being criticised because the Kara Kartallar (the black eagles) are in a massive crisis. Not only have they lost all five group matches in the Champions League. They are also in a sobering ninth place in the domestic Süper Lig.
Seven consecutive competitive games without a win
At the weekend, Besiktas were held to a 1-1 draw away at Kasimpasa, which means they have now gone seven consecutive games without a win. What’s more, six of those seven games have been lost – including crushing defeats like the 4-0 loss at home to Giresunspor.
Kara Kartallar, who are already in last place in the group, will travel to Dortmund in a correspondingly poor state of form, where a win would certainly be a respectable achievement. However, Sergen Yalcin’s team will be far more interested in a win at home against Kayerispor on Sunday.
Lost all last three CL away matches with 0:11 goals
In any case, the Turks’ international record doesn’t read too rosy. In Germany, they have only won one of their six away games and even went down to a 5-0 defeat in their last outing here at FC Bayern in February 2018.
They have also lost three of their last three Champions League away games with a total of 0:11 goals, which means that the bookmakers also see Kara Kartallar in the complete underdog role.
Predicted line-up of Besiktas:
Günök – Meras – Montero – Vida – Rosier – Topal – Pjanic – N’Koudou – Teixera – Ghezzal – Larin
Last matches played by Besiktas:
Süper Lig
12/03 2021 – Kasımpaşa 1 – 1 Beşiktaş
11/27 2021 – Beşiktaş 0 – 4 Giresunspor
Champions League Grp. C
11/24 2021 – Beşiktaş 1 – 2 Ajax Amsterdam
Süper Lig
11/20 2021 – Alanyaspor 2 – 0 Beşiktaş
Club friendlies
11/11 2021 – Beşiktaş 3 – 0 Shkupi
Dortmund – Besiktas Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 3 – 0 – 0
Three times both teams have faced each other in a competitive match and in all three cases Borussia Dortmund was victorious. The last time the black-and-yellows celebrated a comfortable 2-1 away win was in the first leg in Istanbul on 15 September 2021, with the inconsequential equaliser coming in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Dortmund – Besiktas Tip
For Dortmund against Besiktas, the prediction must take into account that there is practically nothing at stake for either team. More rotation can certainly be expected from the Turks, who have made the most changes to their starting line-ups of all 32 participants in the Champions League preliminary round so far (25 in total) and have used the most different players (26). Although BVB could also rotate, the quality across the board should thus favour a home win for the black and yellows.
Finally, Besiktas are in a crisis of form, having lost six of their last seven competitive matches (one draw) and are still without a point in the top flight. The bet on a Dortmund home win with at least a two-goal difference is accordingly coherent
