Preview: Besiktas vs. Malmo – prediction, team news, lineups

Matchday four of the Europa League gets underway early on Wednesday, when Besiktas welcome Malmo to Istanbul.

The game has been brought forward 24 hours, with Galatasaray also playing at home in the city on Thursday.

Match preview

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After sitting bottom of the Europa League’s 36-team standings following the first two matches, Besiktas put things right with a rare away win in Europe, travelling to an in-form Lyon side and winning 1-0, moving them up into 27th, and only outside the qualifying places on goal difference.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst lost his first two games in this competition when he took Rangers to the final in 2021-22, and the Besiktas faithful will be hoping lightning strikes twice.

A response was needed though, as the manner of their defeats to Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt did not go down well with the club’s supporters, conceding seven goals in the process.

However, the win in Lyon gives them the opportunity to win back-to-back games in the same Europa League season for the first time since 2017, when they beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva in both legs of their last 16 tie.

An upturn in form on the continent has been met with a drop in standards domestically though, as Besiktas have faltered in the Super Lig since beating Lyon.

Before the win on matchday three in Europe, Besiktas had made an unbeaten start in the league after eight matches, but following the trip to France, Van Bronckhorst’s side have lost both games.

While a narrow defeat to Galatasaray was disappointing but ultimately forgivable, losing 3-1 at home to Kasimpasa at the weekend brought discontent from the BJK support.

Now, Besiktas face a Malmo side who they have beaten only once in six meetings, all the way back in the 2005-06 UEFA Cup, as four of the previous clashes have ended in defeat, including their last two at home.

Malmo used the opportunity to rest most of their squad at the weekend ahead of this encounter, as they already have the Allsvenskan title sewn up ahead of the final matchday next week.

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Claiming the title with such ease during this point in the European calendar threatened to derail their campaign on the continent though, as they have made an average start in the Europa League, with domestic results having already dropped with nothing left to play for.

Henrik Rydstrom‘s side have lost both of their home games in the league phase so far, with all of their points so far coming thanks to a win at Qarabag on matchday two – an improvement on their last Europa League campaign in 2022-23 when they lost all six group games.

Malmo have a respectable record on the road in this competition, losing just four of their last 10 away from home, and their previous results against Turkish opponents are even better, with home and away wins over Sivasspor in qualifying in 2022 taking their record to six wins and a draw in eight matches.

Since falling to a 1-0 defeat to Olympiacos two weeks ago, Malmo have improved, with Taha Ali inspiring them to a 2-1 win over Goteborg, and a 2-2 draw away to second-place Hammarby, scoring one and assisting the other three in those two matches.

Besiktas Europa League form:

Besiktas form (all competitions):

Malmo Europa League form:

Malmo form (all competitions):

Team News

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Besiktas defender Gabriel Paulista is a doubt for this clash having sat out the previous four games with a thigh problem, while Necip Uysal and Milot Rashica are confirmed absentees.

Top scorer Ciro Immobile was hauled off at half time in the home defeat to Kasimpasa at the weekend, but with no injury believed to have been involved, the Italian is set to start up front again, ahead of Portuguese duo Joao Mario and Rafa Silva, and one of Ernest Muci or young talent Semih Kilicsoy.

Malmo duo Johan Dahlin and Jens Stryger Larsen are both doubtful after not being involved in the matchday squad at the weekend, but that may well have been a case of being extremely cautious with them ahead of this one.

Many other players were also rested for the draw with Hammarby, including Peruvian international Sergio Pena, who has the most tackles and has won possession more than any other player in the Europa League this season.

Lasse Berg Johnsen will return after being suspended at the weekend, but Rydstrom will still be without a number of first-team players, including Sead Haksabanovic and Niklas Moisander, who are out long term, and Anton Tinnerholm and Stefano Holmquist Vecchia, who should both be available after the upcoming international break.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:
Destanoglu; Svensson, Uduokhai, Topcu, Masuaku; Ndour, Gedson Fernandes; Joao Mario, Rafa Silva, Muci; Immobile

Malmo possible starting lineup:
Dahlin, Stryger Larsen, Rosler, Jansson, Busanello; Johnsen, Pena; Ali, Botheim, Bolin; Kiese Thelin

We say: Besiktas 0-2 Malmo

Besiktas have been hugely underwhelming in Europe, and the 1-0 win at Lyon appears to be something of an outlier, considering they have lost both matches domestically since.

Malmo are decent travellers, with their only points coming on the road so far, and they will fancy their chances of keeping up their superb record against Turkish clubs with a seventh win in nine here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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