Türkiye Kupasi, semi-final, first leg, Tuesday, 23.04.2024
There are two absolute high-flyers in the Süper Lig who are miles ahead of the competition. Curious: They are no longer involved in the first leg of the Türkiye Kupasi semi-final, which is about to start!
All the greater are the hopes of Istanbul’s third power to find something to celebrate in 2023/24 after all. In my Ankaragücü Besiktas betting tip, however, I’ll tell you why I’d back the double chance 1X in the first of two games
When Besiktas fans look at the Süper Lig table, they see a picture of horror. This may sound a little exaggerated, but the supporters will probably sign it immediately, because: Fourth place, 39 (!) points off the top!
While Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are fighting doggedly for the title, the Black Eagles must see to it that they somehow finish third or fourth, and that will be hard enough
Speaking of Fenerbahce, the Canaries must always follow suit and so must win their game on Monday. In my Sivasspor Fenerbahce betting tip, I’ll tell you what the odds are.
Besiktas are way off the pace, evil tongues even claim that there will be more coach changes than wins in 2023/24. After five games in a row without a win, they were finally able to celebrate again with the latest 2-0 win
The opponent: Ankaragücü! As luck would have it, they now play each other three times in the space of a few days. Cause for renewed euphoria? Hardly, as four wins from the last 13 encounters speaks for itself.
Interestingly, all four victories were by 2-0. Twelve times less than 2.5 goals? No, the last 14 results have been particularly spectacular. What doesn’t work in the Süper Lig must now work all the better in the Türkiye Kupasi
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have dropped out of the competition, making it all the more important for Besiktas to lift the trophy. And after all, two of their rivals from the first division have already been eliminated.
After a 4-0 win over Eyüpspor to open the campaign, they won 2-1 at Antalyaspor before following up with a 2-0 win over Konyaspor at the end of February. The question now is how strong the team’s nerves are
As is well known, the semi-finals involve a first and second leg, and this competition has not always been the club’s favorite. It was last crowned in 2021, which was also the only time it reached the final since the 2010/11 season.
Does the tense sporting situation have anything to do with the injuries? There are a number of players who are currently unfit for action. Onur Bulut, Arthur Masuaku, Emrecan Terzi and Bakhiyor Zaynutdinov will probably still be missing on Tuesday
The last time Besiktas lost to Ankaragücü was in February 2011, but: Just over a year ago, they were still eliminated in the cup against their upcoming opponents! They lost 4-5 on penalties, which fortunately cannot happen in the first leg
In the league, the team is still in the relegation battle, only four points ahead of a place below the bottom line. No wonder, given that they have won just eight of their 33 games.
It is all the more curious that the team has already won five games in the cup, all of them in regular time. Admittedly, the first four opponents did not have the biggest names with Arguvan (2:0), Iskenderunspor (3:1), Rizespor (3:1) and Erzincanspor (5:1).
But then Ankaragücü caused a minor sensation, as nobody really expected a resounding 3-0 win against Fenerbahce! In general, one reason for this could be the venue, as the statistics from the league don’t read too badly at home either
Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Trabzonspor and Antalyaspor? They’ve lost four times at home and all four are among the top 8 in the league. Do the players have experience of a cup semi-final?
Absolutely, because they only made it here last season! It was a very bitter end against Basaksehir, and only extra time brought the knockout. The club reached the final once, in 1991, so many fans were not even born here
Watch out, Besiktas, an outsider wants to reach the final! Ankaragücü drew attention to themselves with their victory over Fenerbahce, and I also noticed that the yellow-and-blacks are very comfortable at home.
The visitors from Istanbul, on the other hand, have been floundering for months and are unlikely to develop any consistency this season. What’s more, Türkiye Kupasi is not exactly my favorite competition.
So what does that mean for my assessment? Quite simply, as there is still a second leg to play, Ankaragücü will want to make a good start. For this reason, my prediction is as follows:
The home side won’t lose
