cyclops_1985
28th-November-2007, 09:54 PM
Besiktas vs Marseille
Current Form
Besiktas comes into this match with a morale-boosting 1-0 win away to Genclerbirligi. The victory sees an end to a four game winless streak (3 of those were losses) for the Turkish side, which included the record-setting 0-8 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. The weekend win saw Besiktas pull away from a group of four teams that were catching up on them but more importantly allowed them to keep pace with the early pace-setters in the Turkish League.
Marseille looked to have finally gotten their act together with only their second home win of the season, beating Metz 3-1 on Saturday to prove that the win over Lyon (2-1) before the international break wasn't a one-off result. Since Erik Gerets took over the French club, they have lost 3 out of 10 games, all of which were away from home.
Team News
Besiktas will be without several defenders for this crucial match, Serdar Kurtulus, Lamine Diatta, Gokhan Zan and Ibrahim Kas, of whom Kurtulus and Diatta were involved in the loss to Liverpool. So much change will be expected of the new backline of Besiktas.
Marseille will welcome back captain Lorik Cana, who last featured in the win over Lyon.
Important Factors
This is a must-win game for Besiktas. Anything other than victory will see them eliminated from the Champions' League. Expect to see them approach the game with an attacking mentality. This should play into Marseille's hands, who will be able to make use of Mamadou Niang's and Djibril Cisse's pace to good effect.
Another factor that is difficult to ignore is the head-to-head record of the two managers of both teams. Marseille coach Erik Gerets have won four and drawn one of all meetings against counterpart Ertugrul Saglam. This clearly demonstrates the difference in abilities between the two managers.
Pick : Marseille lvl
Current Form
Besiktas comes into this match with a morale-boosting 1-0 win away to Genclerbirligi. The victory sees an end to a four game winless streak (3 of those were losses) for the Turkish side, which included the record-setting 0-8 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. The weekend win saw Besiktas pull away from a group of four teams that were catching up on them but more importantly allowed them to keep pace with the early pace-setters in the Turkish League.
Marseille looked to have finally gotten their act together with only their second home win of the season, beating Metz 3-1 on Saturday to prove that the win over Lyon (2-1) before the international break wasn't a one-off result. Since Erik Gerets took over the French club, they have lost 3 out of 10 games, all of which were away from home.
Team News
Besiktas will be without several defenders for this crucial match, Serdar Kurtulus, Lamine Diatta, Gokhan Zan and Ibrahim Kas, of whom Kurtulus and Diatta were involved in the loss to Liverpool. So much change will be expected of the new backline of Besiktas.
Marseille will welcome back captain Lorik Cana, who last featured in the win over Lyon.
Important Factors
This is a must-win game for Besiktas. Anything other than victory will see them eliminated from the Champions' League. Expect to see them approach the game with an attacking mentality. This should play into Marseille's hands, who will be able to make use of Mamadou Niang's and Djibril Cisse's pace to good effect.
Another factor that is difficult to ignore is the head-to-head record of the two managers of both teams. Marseille coach Erik Gerets have won four and drawn one of all meetings against counterpart Ertugrul Saglam. This clearly demonstrates the difference in abilities between the two managers.
Pick : Marseille lvl