Besiktas backed to finish job against Hradec
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Besiktas head into Thursday night's Europa League third qualifying round second leg at home to Hradec with a 1-0 advantage from the first meeting and are well placed to extend their recent winning run. The Turkish side have already beaten Midtjylland 3-0 on aggregate in the previous round and now have a chance to reach the next Europa League playoff stage before the Super Lig season begins
Key Points
- The match is scheduled for 1:00am on August 14, with Besiktas hosting Czech opponents Hradec in the second leg of the third qualifying round
- Besiktas qualified for this season's Europa League qualifiers after finishing fourth in the Turkish Super Lig and had exited in last season's Conference League playoff
- In the previous round, Besiktas defeated Danish club Midtjylland 3-0 on aggregate, then won 1-0 away to Hradec in last week's first leg
- New left-back Kassoum Ouattara, signed from Lille, was sent off in the second half of the first leg, but Besiktas still scored late to win
- Head coach Italiano is preparing for the Super Lig opener this weekend, while new signings Alexander Nubel and Orkun Kokcu are expected to start
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong football followers and bettors, the tie offers a final pre-season gauge of Besiktas before the Turkish league kicks off this weekend. It also shows how one of Turkey's better-resourced clubs is trying to turn heavy summer spending into immediate European progress