Match Pack: Beşiktaş JK vs Athletic Club (Europa League MD7)

With two League Phase matches left, Athletic Club return to Istanbul looking to maintain their unbeaten run in Europa League and strengthen their claim for a place in the last 16.

Just over a month ago, the Lions defeated Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahçe SK 0-2 in the famous Turkish metropolis. 

This time around Ernesto Valverde's charges face historic outfit Beşiktaş JK, now led by another former Manchester United manager in the form of recently-appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
 

Match Info
Beşiktaş JK vs Athletic Club

Tüpraş Stadyumu, Istanbul

Europa League 24/25 (League Phase Matchday 7)

Wednesday January 22, 16:30 CET
 

How to Watch 
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The Opponents

Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü was founded in 1903 as Bereket Gymnastics Club. Today the entity has 14 sections: Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Bridge, Chess, e-sports, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Rowing, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling and Wheelchair Basketball.

Six years after its foundation the club adopted its current name. In 1911, Beşiktaş formed its first football team, which originally played in red and white kits before changing to black and white in honour of those who died in the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913.

Like Athletic, Besiktas have always played in their respective top flight and have an impressive trophy cabinet that includes 16 Turkish Super League titles, 11 Turkish Cups, the most recent one which they also won last season, and 10 Turkish Super Cups. They have also regularly qualify for European qualification.

Kara Kartallas (the Black Eagles) have faced the Zurigorri in Europe on three occasions. Twice in the 1985 UEFA Cup and once in the 2004 edition of the same competition. Los Leones won both fixtures in the 1985 and lost 3-1 in 2004.

Besiktas play at the 42,590-capacity Tüpraş Stadyumu, which opened in 2016. It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus Strait, which is regarded as the country's major financial centre, with a bustling commercial area and vibrant student scene.

 

Head coach: Ole Gunnar Solskjær

No stranger to European competitions, Solskjær is most well known for his playing days at Manchester United, where he scored a famous stoppage-time winner in the 1998/99 Champions League final.

Also a former manager at Man Utd, the Norwegian coach took over at Beşiktaş just last week, replacing Dutch coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

He has a decent track record in the Europa League. While in charge at Old Trafford, he led the Red Devils to the 2020/21 Europa League final, which they lost on penalties to LaLiga side Villarreal CF. 

Prior to that Solskjær had built a name for himself in the Norwegian league, where he won two First Division titles (2011 and 2012) as well as the Norwegian Cup in 2013.

 

Standout players:

Besiktas' squad boasts a large number of Turkish internationals such as: Onur Bulut, Semih Kilicsoy, Arda Kilic, Mert Gunok, Emirhan Topcu.

Added to those, they have a large contingent of foreign players with extensive experience in European football: Jonas Svensson (Norway), Gabriel Paulista (Brazil), Al-Musraty (Libya), Milot Rashica (Kosovo), Felix Uduokhai (Germany/Nigeria), Oxlade-Chamberlain (England), Ciro Immobile (Italy), Joao Mario (Portugal), Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov (Kazakhstan), Ernest Muçi (Albania), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo/France), Rafa Silva (Portugal), Jean Onana (Cameroon), Gedson Fernandes (Portugal / Sao Tomé)

 

Europa League form:

The Black Eagles are currently 28th in the League Phase standing, just one point away from the a qualification spot for the round-of-16 play-offs (9th-24th).

They've picked up two victories, 0-1 against Lyon and 2-1 versus Malmö, in addition to four losses: 4-0 to Ajax, 1-3 to Eintracht Frankfurt, 1-3 against Maccabi Tel Aviv and 2-1 to Bodø/Glimt.