Besiktas vs Napoli: Preview and Prediction

Besiktas vs Napoli
UEFA Champions League – Group B
Date: Tuesday, 1st November 2016.
Kick-Off: 17:45 UK,
Venue: Besiktas Arena, Istanbul.

Besiktas have already proved they are no pushovers after defeating Napoli away at the Stadio San Paolo in the 3-2 on matchday 3. After having draws the first two matches against Benfica and Dynamo Kiev, the Turkish outfit are the only undefeated side in Group B. They sit second on the log with 5 points, just a point short of Napoli, while Benfica on third have 4 points.

The Serie A side started their Champions League campaign in style by picking up back to back wins- 2-1 at Dynamo Kiev and 4-2 at home against Benfica. Their major problems lie along the back four, conceding goals when least expected. They have already conceded 17 goals from 14 matches in all competitions so far, which is not typical for an Italian side.

Napoli’s home defeat to Besiktas has opened up some interesting prospects in this group. Many expect Benfica and Napoli to dominate the group, but Besiktas fighting spirit and determination has made this a three-horse race. As things stands, all three mentioned teams have a chance to get into the knockout stages of one of the two UEFA competitions. But at the moment, Champions League will be their top priority.

On the other hand, the rock bottom side Dynamo Kiev have 1 point and if they manage to defeat Benfica on matchday 4, the group will be set on fire.

Besiktas vs Napoli: Head-to-Head Stats

The first leg fixture was the first ever competitive meeting between Besiktas and Napoli. And Besiktas just registered their first ever win over a Serie A side with the 3-2 win. They were win-less in the previous 11 meetings with Italian sides. Now the total stats read 1 win, 2 draws and 9 losses from 12 matches. They hosted sides from Italy on 5 occasions, but so far managed only one draw and lost the other 4.

Napoli were victorious in their two previous meetings with Turkish outfits. It was during the Europa League group stage of last season against Trabzonspor. The visit to Turkey was a memorable one as they thrashed their opponents 4-0.

Besiktas vs Napoli: Prediction

Besiktas could be tipped as a strong home side, but they are a side who haven’t lost a single match this season in all competitions. They are unbeaten in 12 matches with 6 wins and 6 draws. So the confidence will be certainly there, which could be boosted when playing in front of their home fans. They do not have a good record in European Competitions, but records are there to be broken.

The recent form guide of Napoli draws a poor picture as they have lost in 4 of their last 6 fixtures in all competitions. They have picked only one win from their last 4 away matches and that too against a newly promoted Crotone.

The home side look good to earn a point here. We believe backing Besiktas on a double chance to win or draw is the best bet for this fixture. At the same time, it is very likely that both teams score at least once here as either teams have struggled to keep clean sheets this season.