Midtjylland back themselves to get the job done at Besiktas

The first legs of the Europa League second qualifying round continue in the early hours of Friday, with Besiktas hosting Midtjylland. The visitors are in excellent form, having won three straight matches while averaging 4.7 goals per game over that run, and they have every chance of taking a victory on this trip.

Besiktas have finished fourth in the Turkish Super Lig for two consecutive seasons, showing strong consistency in league play, though making the next step remains difficult. They signed former Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard for the new season, but he has just finished the World Cup and is not eligible for the Europa League qualifiers, so Besiktas still have to rely on last season’s core squad. Attacker Milot Rashica made 30 league appearances last season, contributing 5 goals and 8 assists, while averaging 2.1 key passes per game, making him the team’s main creative outlet. During the break, Besiktas played three 90-minute friendlies and recorded one win, one draw and one defeat, scoring 4 goals and conceding 4 in total, which was a fairly ordinary return. Facing an in-form Midtjylland side in Europe, Besiktas could be in for a difficult night.

Like Besiktas, Midtjylland are also in their domestic offseason, but they remain one of the stronger sides in the Danish Superliga and are among the title contenders. They finished second in the league last season and boasted the division’s best attack, averaging 2.25 goals per game, even better than champions Aarhus. In terms of recent form, the team have played five friendlies since June and posted four wins and one draw, including a current three-match winning streak. Notably, Nigerian forward Franculino has produced braces in consecutive games and is in excellent scoring touch, giving Midtjylland hope of returning home with a win under his lead.