- 1 Kauno Zalgiris vs Besiktas: five European games, five clean sheets for the Turkish side
- 2 Kauno Zalgiris: seven qualifying games, 13 goals conceded
- 3 Besiktas: eight goals scored, zero conceded in five European games
- 4 Europa League Prediction Kauno Zalgiris vs Besiktas
- 5 First, a quick word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Kauno Zalgiris vs Besiktas: five European games, five clean sheets for the Turkish side 
Besiktas have not conceded a single goal in five European qualifiers this summer. That is the headline stat heading into the second leg.
Thanks to a clear 3-0 win in the first leg on 20 August at Tupras Stadyumu in Istanbul, Besiktas travel to Lithuania with a huge cushion.
The return leg takes place on Thursday 27 August at 20:00 local time (19:00 in central Europe) in Kaunas. The equation is simple: the winners move into the Europa League league phase, while the losers drop into the Conference League league phase. Short of a freak comeback, the Turks are already more than halfway there.
The first leg left little room for doubt. Oh Hyeon-gyu and Amir Murillo did the damage before the break, then Orkun Kokcu converted a penalty after the restart.
The two clubs met for the first time in European competition. The gap seen in Istanbul is exactly what their two runs had suggested.
Kauno Zalgiris come into this tie after dropping out of the Champions League. The Lithuanian club were knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb in the third qualifying round, losing 7-1 on aggregate.
Besiktas, by contrast, have built their Europa League campaign on control and clean sheets. Two qualifying rounds gone, five wins from five, no goals conceded.
The Turkish side also opened their Super Lig season with a 1-0 win over Eyupspor. Domestic momentum has carried over nicely.
Kauno Zalgiris are still in the title race at home in Lithuania. That is their main source of comfort right now.
Tactically, this second leg will hinge on whether the Lithuanians can break down a side that has not budged once all summer. There is no room for mistakes.
Kauno Zalgiris: seven qualifying games, 13 goals conceded 
Kauno Zalgiris began in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. The Lithuanian side edged Drita 4-3 on aggregate.
The 1-1 draw at home made the tie awkward from the start. The 3-2 win in Kosovo was their best attacking display of the summer.
The second round against Klaksvik took a very different shape. A 0-0 draw in the Faroe Islands, then a 1-0 win in Kaunas, gave them a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory.
The third round against Dinamo Zagreb exposed the limit. They lost 5-0 in Croatia and then 2-1 at home, going out 7-1 on aggregate.
The first leg in Istanbul simply carried that on. Three more goals conceded, none scored, and the tie was pretty much done by half-time.
The overall record tells the story: six goals scored and 13 conceded in seven qualifying matches. The damage has piled up as the standard has risen.
Across their last three European outings, Kauno Zalgiris have conceded 10 and scored one. That is the worrying sign before they host Besiktas.
They have not kept their opponents out since the 0-0 draw with Klaksvik in the second qualifying round. Four games have passed since then.
The title chase in Lithuania at least keeps the squad in competitive rhythm. But that level is a long way off a European playoff.
On Thursday, this is more about reaching the Conference League than engineering some heroic turnaround against Besiktas. Even in defeat, they still secure a full continental league phase.
Try it for $0.99.
Besiktas: eight goals scored, zero conceded in five European games 
Besiktas entered the competition in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The Turkish club drew Midtjylland, a regular face in European group stages.
The first leg in Istanbul finished 1-0. The trip to Denmark was more convincing, with a 2-0 win and a 3-0 aggregate success.
The third round against Hradec Kralove followed the same pattern. A 1-0 win in the Czech Republic, then another 1-0 at home, for a 2-0 aggregate victory.
The first leg against Kauno Zalgiris was their most productive outing so far. Three goals scored, none conceded, and qualification all but wrapped up before the return.
The combined record is as strong as anything in this qualifying round: five games, five wins, eight goals scored, none conceded. No one has found a way through since July.
That solidity has shown away from home as well as in Istanbul. They kept clean sheets in Herning and Hradec Kralove, two tricky trips.
The attacking output is trending up too. After three one-goal wins, Besiktas have scored two and then three in their last two European matches.
The return of the Turkish league backed that up. They started their Super Lig campaign with a 1-0 win over Eyupspor.
So Besiktas head to Kaunas with a three-goal lead and a defence that has not cracked. The only obvious concern is rotation, with the tie already under control.
Even then, the class gap is obvious. Kauno Zalgiris have scored only once in their last three European matches.
Likely Kauno Zalgiris team: Not available at time of publication.
Likely Besiktas team: Not available at time of publication.
Europa League Prediction Kauno Zalgiris vs Besiktas
Our prediction: Besiktas win
Besiktas have won all five of their European qualifiers, including two away from home, without conceding a goal. They have done it against Midtjylland and Hradec Kralove, both stronger than Kauno Zalgiris.
The Lithuanian side have conceded 10 in their last three continental matches, against Dinamo Zagreb and Besiktas. Their defence has not held since the second qualifying round.
The attacking numbers point the same way. Kauno Zalgiris have scored six in seven games, three of them coming in one night against Drita, while Besiktas have eight in five.
Besiktas win in Kaunas.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
First, a quick word on our free tips
- What we publish on mathodds is analysis, nothing more. We share an opinion, a read on the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport is what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a goal from nowhere… and the script changes completely.
- Let us be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when something looks nailed on, it is not. And yes, that means you can lose. In fact, you will at some point.
- The best approach is to stay sensible. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Do not touch money you need for everyday life. And above all, do not chase losses – it rarely ends well.
- A bet should stay a bit of fun, not a job or a source of income. If it starts to take over your day, annoy you, or pile on the pressure, take a break. If you need help, talk to a specialist support service. That is what it is there for.
- At the end of the day, responsibility is yours. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, even with the best analysis in the world.
- Important reminder: betting is illegal for minors and must follow the law in your country. Gambling can go wrong fast, with money losses, family tension and addiction. Need Help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In the UK? Visit https://www.gambleaware.org/https://www.gambleaware.org/.
No commitment from us
Our tips are not a contract. They carry no legal weight. In plain English: you cannot use them to claim anything if a bet loses.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know when it is written. But then a team changes, a player picks up an injury, the weather turns… and the analysis can be out of date fast. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your role
Before you bet, check that wagering is legal where you live. If it is not, that is your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling first
We cannot say this enough: bet in moderation. If you struggle to keep control, do not wait to get help. We cannot be responsible for compulsive or excessive use of the information on this site.
Legal age
mathodds content is for adults only. By using this site, you confirm you are old enough to bet under the law.
About the images…
The images and logos of Kauno Zalgiris and Besiktas on mathodds, including those linked to the Europa League, are there only to illustrate our articles. They do not mean we have any official link with a federation or sports body, and we make no claim to any rights over them.
Those rights belong to the original creators. If, despite our checks, any image is a problem, contact us: it will be removed without delay.
Our only aim with these images is to make the reading experience better. Nothing more. No commercial gain, no taking credit for other people’s work.
Leave a Reply