Istanbul Basaksehir FK (Basaksehir)
- Istanbul Basaksehir FK and Goztepe AS Izmir sit 6th and 5th respectively in the Super Lig table, with the visitors having 3 more points from 24 games.
- The hosts have won 3, drawn 1 and lost only 1 of their last 5 Super Lig games.
- Basaksehir have won 4, drawn 5 and lost 3 of their 12 home games in the Super Lig.
- Nuri Sahin has done a good job with Basaksehir, tweaking their tactics to be a little more controlled and possession based, while still pressing selectively and transitioning quickly.
- They tend to line-up in a flexible 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, and with Christopher Operi, who has contributed 3 assists in their recent 5-game spell, they have added some creative spark in the final third.
Goztepe AS Izmir (Goztepe)
- The visitors have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 1 of their last 5 Super Lig games.
- Goztepe have won 5, drawn 4 and lost 3 of their 12 away games in the Super Lig.
- However, Saturday’s visitors are without a win in their last 2 away games, suffering a 4-0 defeat against Besiktas in their most recent game on the road.
- Stanimir Stoilov’s Goztepe side are set up to be a lot more disciplined and patient, with a compact 3-4-1-2 or narrow 4-4-2 formation and a low-to-mid block defensive shape.
- They play counter attacks when available, hitting the opposing defense quickly down the channels when the wide wing-backs are committed forward.
Head-to-Head
Goztepe won 1-0 at home against Basaksehir in the Super Lig 4 months ago and have won the last two head-to-head meetings between the clubs.
Key Players
- Basaksehir
- Basaksehir’s top scorer Eldor Shomurodov has scored 16 goals in 24 Super Lig outings this season.
- Davie Selke has netted 5 times in their last 5 matches.
- Goztepe
- Goztepe’s top-scorer Juan has scored 6 times in 22 games.
Betting Insights
- Basaksehir’s 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 and Goztepe’s 3-4-1-2/narrow 4-4-2 is an interesting tactical match-up in the Super Lig, and we’re expecting this one to go the way of the home side.
- However, the counter-attacking threat from the visitors means we think both teams to score and over 2.5 goals will be a better play, with a 3-1 Basaksehir win in the exact score market also appealing.
- Basaksehir have conceded 16 Super Lig goals at home this season, while Goztepe have scored 13 times in their 12 away matches, averaging 1.08 goals per road trip.
- Nuri Sahin’s tactical tweaks and Christopher Operi’s recent creativity are positive trends for the hosts.
Prediction
We’re going with both teams to score and over 2.5 goals , with a 3-1 win for Basaksehir in the correct score market.
