Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions

• Besiktas won 11 of their 18 home Super Lig games last season.
• Shakhtar are winless in their last seven European trips (D2, L5).
• Besiktas have just two clean sheets in their last 13 competitive games.

Heavyweights clash in Europa qualifying

Shakhtar Donetsk competed in the league phase of the Champions League last season but this year the Europa League is their target, and they face a tough qualifier against Besiktas next.

The Ukrainian outfit overcame Finland’s Ilves with ease in the last round of qualifying, winning 6-0 on aggregate, while this is Besiktas’ first outing of the new season.

Shakhtar are the favourites to qualify but they may have to recover a deficit as they have struggled on their travels in Europe in recent seasons. The Miners were held to a 0-0 draw at Ilves, after thrashing the Finns in the first leg, and they’re winless in their last seven European road games in a run stretching back to the 2023/24 season – losing five of those games.

Besiktas were fairly strong at home last term in Turkey with 11 wins in 18 home Super Lig games. The Black Eagles beat Malmo and Athletic Bilbao in Istanbul in the league phase of the Europa League last season and they can make their home advantage count against Shakhtar.

The visitors should be able to get on the scoresheet in defeat and keep this game tight, however, as Besiktas have conceded in 11 of their last 11 competitive games. Shakhtar lost by one-goal margins at PSV and Arsenal in the Champions League last season so a 2-1 win for Besiktas, which would keep this tie in the balance ahead of the return leg, has a chance.