Trabzonspor vs Basel Predictions

This is the first time these two teams clash, but will Trabzonspor or Basel manage to walk away with all three points?

Basel got off to a terrific start in the group by firing five past Russian side FC Krasnodar. They will face a different test here though in the shape of Trabzonspor, who sit 4th in the Turkish Super Lig after 6 games.

The home side have proven a strong opponent on their own turf for a while now, they’ve lost just four times at the Medical Park Stadium in all competitions since the start of the 2018/19 season. That’s pretty impressive and includes victories against some of the top sides in Turkey, such as a 4-0 win against Galatasaray, and a 4-1 victory against Besiktas which came in their last game. That offers some good momentum heading into this fixture too against twenty-time Swiss Super League winners Basel.

Basel arrive in solid form and are unbeaten in their last 9 games, however they would have hoped for better in their most recent European away day which came in a Champions League qualifier against Austrian side LASK. They lost 3-1 (5-2 on aggregate) meaning they subsequently dropped down into this competition.

They’ve lost 3 of their last 4 away days in this competition and won just 5 of their last 18 in it, which goes back to 2011. It shows that although they come into the game in good heart, there is a vulnerability there when tasked with a difficult away tie.

This definitely fits the bill as a tricky match too. Trabzonspor were the third-best home side in the Turkish Super Lig last season, winning 12 of their 17 games and only losing three times. They scored 39 home goals, which was the second-best in the division and their 4-1 win against Besiktas last time means they head into the game with confidence. The home side were not disgraced in their opener in this group either, only going down 1-0 away at Spanish side Getafe.

We think Trabzonspor can get their first victory in Group C here. Their strong form and ability to score plenty at home gives them a good chance of doing so, even against an in-form Basel side. We don’t expect a drubbing of any kind though and think there’ll be just a goal in it with both sides getting on the score-sheet, we like 2-1 for the correct score with that in mind. Basel last failed to score in a game in August of 2018 so it’s hard to see them not grabbing one, but Trabzonspor might just have that bit more fire-power on the night.