18 October 2021, 16:38 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The UEFA Champions League Group C fixture, Beşiktaş JK vs Sporting CP, kicks off at 17:45 (GMT+1) on Matchday 3, Tuesday, October 19 at the Vodafone Arena.
Preview Beşiktaş Champions League, Oct 19, 2021
Preview Beşiktaş returns to the table of champions after Friday’s 3-2 defeat to İstanbul Başakşehir F.K in the Turkish Super Lig. On UCL Matchday 2, Beşiktaş failed to pick up a point, following the 2-0 defeat to Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena. Abysmal in the final-third, the Turkish side had no shots on target in that game, leaving Berghuis (17’) and UCL Matchday 1 hero, Sébastien Haller (43’) to decide the outcome of the game. The defeat leaves the Turkish outfit with no points after two games: 0W, 0D, & 2L. Hitting the back of the net only once, Besiktas have conceded four times and have a G.D. of -3. Only a win would be good enough to keep Besiktas’ chances of qualifying for the next round open. However, the club has won only one of their last seven home European matches (1W, D1, & L5). In addition, the Turkish club has never won on home soil against Portuguese opposition in eight previous attempts. Beşiktaş have lost three in five games across all competitions: DLLWL. The Black Eagles are third in Group C, and Sergen Yalçn will try to get his first point of the UCL campaign on Tuesday. A probable 4—1—4—1 formation with Michy Batshuayi leading the attack is expected. A win for Beşiktaş will put the club on the front-foot before they visit Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade on Nov. 3, UCL Matchday 4.
Preview Sporting CP Champions League, Oct 19, 2021
Preview Borrowing a leaf from Dortmund’s book, Sporting CP also lost on Matchday 2. A single strike from Donyell Malen (37’) in the first forty-five separated both sides at full-time. The loss sits Sporting CP at the very bottom of Group C with a G.D. of -5 after Matchday 2: 0W, 0D, & 2L. Over the weekend, Sporting crushed C.F. Os Belenenses, 4-0, in a Taça de Portugal fixture, leaving the club with four victories in five games across all competitions: WWLWW. On Tuesday, manager Rúben Amorim will look to extend that form to the UEFA Champions League and pick up his first point of the tournament at the Vodafone Arena. However, an unconvincing record trails their visit. Sporting have suffered eight defeats in their last nine games on the road in the Champions League group stage. Furthermore, the Lions have progressed into the knockout stage only once, in the 2008/09 season, before a 12-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich saw them tumble out of the tournament. A record-high when speaking of the heaviest aggregate defeat in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase. Rúben Amorim is expected to utilize the attacking 3—4—3 formation, with the trio consisting of Tomas, Paulinho, and Sarabia leading the frontline. Rúben Amorim appears to have a fully-fit squad ahead of this fixture.