Istanbul Basaksehir vs St Patrick’s Athletic
UEFA Europa League Conference, KO: 17:00 Aug 28, 2024, Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium
After battling to a goalless draw in the first meeting, Istanbul Basaksehir and St Patrick’s Athletic square off in the Europa Conference League playoff second leg. Basaksehir will be counting on a solid home record and should have the upper hand over St Patrick’s, who often struggle on their travels.
It was a drab encounter in the first leg as Istanbul Basaksehir struggled to find their rhythm. The Turks could only muster a single attempt on target as the clash ended in a 0-0 draw.
The good news for Istanbul Basaksehir is that they are still on a nine match unbeaten run, claiming seven wins in that run. Cagdas Atan's men have been particularly impressive at home, winning their last three matches at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium.
It was a similarly poor performance from St Patrick’s Athletic in the first leg as they struggled to build any kind of attacking momentum. They saw very little of the ball and failed to muster a single attempt on target.
St Patrick’s Athletic have been generally decent in recent weeks as they are unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions. However, Stephen Kenny’s men often struggle on their travels and have picked up just one win from their last six away matches.
How the bookies view it: Basaksehir backed to prevail
Istanbul Basaksehir have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 1/4 by Betfred to claim the win. An unlikely victory for St Patrick’s Athletic is priced at 9/1 by Betfred, who is also offering odds of 4/1 for a draw.
Head to head: No previous meetings
Last week’s 0-0 draw was the first ever meeting between Istanbul Basaksehir and St Patrick’s Athletic.
Players to watch: Eyes on Piatek
Krzysztof Piatek has impressed for Istanbul Basaksehir in the early stage of the season and already has four goals in the Conference League qualifiers. With Joao Figueiredo also featuring in attack, the Turks could be backed to produce over 1.5 goals.
St Patrick’s Athletic will be keen to show some improvement in their attacking play and will look to Zack Elbouzedi and Mason Melia to provide the spark. Both men can ensure that the Irish side produce over 0.5 goals at 10/11 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Joao Figueiredo was on target for Istanbul Basaksehir last weekend and could be handed a start after coming off the bench in the first leg. Dimitris Pelkas should start in attack while Hamza Gureler is set to continue in defence.
Ronal Palmer was taken off in the first half added time in the first leg and is doubtful for Thursday’s clash. Melia should continue to lead the line alongside Elbouzedi and Jake Mulraney.
Istanbul Basaksehir: Sengezer, Duarte, Gureler, Opoku, Ali Sahiner, Pelkas, Ergun, Ozcan, Joao Figueiredo, Turuc, Piatek
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang, Sjoeberg, Grivosti, Redmond, Breslin, Leavy, Lennon, Forrester, Elbouzedi, Mulraney, Melia
Anything else catch eye?
There were over 4.5 goals in Istanbul Basaksehir's previous hoke fixture and a repeat is priced at 100/30 by Betfred. Over 3.5 goals could also be considered at 6/4 by Betfred, who is also offering evens on both teams to score.
Istanbul Basaksehir are expected to be dominant on Thursday and could be backed to score in both halves at 9/10 by Betfred. Given the minimal odds for a straight Basaksehir victory, a win and both teams to score could be considered at 15/8 with Betfred.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Istanbul Basaksehir and St Patrick’s Athletic will be played on Aug 28, 2024 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Istanbul Basaksehir vs St Patrick’s Athletic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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