Italian-Bet

Besiktas vs Zalgiris

David faces Goliath in Istanbul as Besiktas take one Kauno Zalgiris in the Europa League playoffs first leg. The Turkish giants are in excellent form, having won five consecutive matches in all competitions, including both legs against Hradec in the previous qualifying round. Besiktas have been particularly solid defensively, conceding just five goals across their last 10 matches and keeping clean sheets in 70% of them. Star signing Leandro Trossard is likely to make his first start after coming off the bench against Hradec, while Dusan Vlahovic could also feature. Wilfried Ndidi is pushing for a starting berth after his cameo against Eyupspor.

Kauno Zalgiris, meanwhile, face a huge challenge after struggling defensively in their Champions League tie with Dinamo Zagreb. The Lithuanian side have won five of their last 10 matches, but their away numbers are less convincing, with a 33% win rate and 2.33 goals conceded per game. They have also failed to score in 67% of their recent away fixtures. Striker Gabriel Debeljuh could earn a start after scoring as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Dinamo.

Besiktas's five-game winning streak and strong defensive record make them clear favourites to win Thursday's clash. Therefore, Home Win seems like a sure bet, alongside Besiktas to Win to Nil and Besiktas -1.5.
Besiktas -1 handicap – Kauno have conceded 2.33 goals per away game in their recent run.