Read our prediction for Basaksehir vs Olympiakos Piraeus below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Basaksehir vs Olympiakos Piraeus and you can increase your winnings!
Basaksehir vs Olympiakos Piraeus Prediction & Betting tips
When one of the big traditional clubs in Istanbul plays in the Champions League, the parts of the city in the metropolis are transformed into football fever. If you walk through the streets of Istanbul on that day, you will see at least one flag of the Turkish representative on each corner.
In the case of Basaksehir this is not true. Terms like “Retort Club” or “Erdoganklub” are commonplace. The reigning runner-up from Süper Lig has recently joined the elite of Turkish football and can not really rely on a big fan base. In the new competitive season starts Basaksehir against Olympiakos Piraeus in the first leg of the third round of the Champions League qualification. From a home advantage can be no question.
Of course, the team feels comfortable with new coach Okan Buruk in their own arena, but there is a significant lack of support from their own fans. The followers of Basaksehir can not even tie in with the witches’ atmosphere of the traditional Istanbul clubs. The Greeks are unlikely to underestimate the Turkish runner-up, because Basaksehir is anything but a mayfly. Under former coach Abdullah Avci, the team had worked their way up to the Turkish elite and recently ranked among the narrow favorites in the Süper Lig. Successful season coach Avci has left the team for Besiktas. Whether his successor Okan Buruk is an adequate replacement, will show in the upcoming season. Basaksehir is slightly favored against Olympiacos Piraeus according to odds. A tip on the Buruk-Elf will be daring, however, especially since the services in the preparation were not very good. The kick-off is on Wednesday evening at 18:45 (CET) in Istanbul!
Basaksehir:
The last Süper Lig season had again a lot of drama and an adrenalin-rich title race to offer – with another bad outcome for Basaksehir. The “fourth” big club from Istanbul could not prevail again in the final season and had to defeat the Turkish champions Galatasaray. After year after year, the title could not be won, coach Abdullah Avci decided to move to Besiktas, where Avci will take over the vacant coaching position of Günes. Basaksehir, however, starts the new season with coach Okan Buruk and is optimistic to build on the successes under Avci.
The reigning runner-up made the strongest defensive in the Süper Lig for much of last season. After center-back support Alexandru Epureanu injured, the defensive game did not fit at all and Basaksehir scored points above points. At the start of the new competitive season Epureanu, the most important defensive man will have to pause again due to injury. In the test matches, the defensive of Basaksehir harmonized again not really, so it remains to be seen how the CL first leg against Piraeus will be. For the first time in his coaching career Okan Buruk will be represented as coach of a team in international business.
In his last coaching stations Buruk had often taken a pile of rubble and had to fight with no pressure. Due to the minimal objectives, the coach outdid himself with his results, but has now taken over with Basaksehir a team that has set much higher goals. The reigning runner-up wants to make the leap into the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in club history.
In addition to the tactical fox and successful coach Abdullah Avci left only “oldie” Emre Belozoglu in the summer of the club. However, further serious departures did not have to be coped with so far, and offensive star Edin Visca is still part of the team for the time being. In the case of a lack of qualification for international business, a departure of the 29-year-old would be virtually unavoidable. Buruk can therefore rely on a well-coordinated squad, also reinforced with seven other players in the summer, including striker Fredrik Gulbrandsen of RB Salzburg. The squadrons at Basaksehir are unparalleled.
How the team adapts to the new game system under Buruk, but can not be foreseen. Unlike Avci, who was taken over with calm play control, Buruk is known for his fast counterplay.
Olympiacos Piraeus:
Olympiakos Piraeus missed the championship in Greece for the second time in a row. The Greek record champion once again lagged behind expectations and only made it to the runner-up behind PAOK Salonika. Coach Pedro Martins still remains in office and has the chance to make amends this season.
In the premier class, Coach Martins could defend against Viktoria Pilsen with Piraeus and now meets the Turkish runner-up. As in the recent qualifying round, Piräus denies the first leg on foreign territory and wants to get a good starting position thanks to the strong defensive again.
In contrast to Basaksehir Piraeus could already complete two competitive games in the new season. In addition, the Greeks had an intensive summer preparation, lost thereby not a single test match. With 71 goals, the Greeks already in the last season, the strongest offensive in the Greek Super League and will probably continue this with the current squad in this season. In the recent 4-0 home win over Viktoria Pilsen, the Greek record champion let the muscles play and dominated at will. It is quite possible that the Greeks will already be scoring in the first leg this time.
The already strong offensive of Piraeus has strengthened again with new signing by Youssef El Arabi. The 32-year-old was able to deliver outstanding performances in the Qatari league with a goal-scoring average of 1.16 goals per game. The Greek record champion in the most recent transfer window did not complain about significant departures. In addition to the reinforcement by El Arabi are with Valbuena (Fenerbahce), Bruno (LASK), Markovic (Partizan) and Semedo (Villareal) more new players in the squad. The borrowed keeper Sá was also firmly committed by FC Porto.
After the Greeks’ display of power against the Czech representative from Pilsen, getting ahead of Piraeus in this round is very realistic. The red and white will make a clear statement for the first leg and surprise the Turks. The Basaksehir against Olympiakos Piraeus odds on an away win have quite value, although the Greeks will arrive with some failures.