Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Tips & Preview - Expect goals in thrilling encounter

By Tolu Shotade

22 Jul 2025

Tolu Shotade 22 Jul 2025

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Besiktas to host Shakhtar Donetsk in Europa League qualifying first leg.
Besiktas have scored in their last 10 matches but struggle to keep clean sheets.
Shakhtar Donetsk boast strong attacking form but lack recent clean sheets.

Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Besiktas begin their UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign as they host Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg.

Both teams have plenty of experience in European competitions and could be set to serve up a thrilling contest. There is quality in both attacks, and Thursday's clash is expected to produce goals.

Besiktas News

Besiktas drew a bye from the previous round and are coming into their first competitive outing of the season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team have been involved in friendlies lately, claiming just one win in four preseason games.

Besiktas head into this clash with two straight defeats, losing 3-2 to Wolfsberger before falling 2-1 to Petrzalka in their previous fixture. However, they will be hoping for some home support, having won two of their last three competitive matches at Tupras Stadium.

The goals often flow freely for Besiktas, who have scored in their last 10 matches across all competitions, grabbing the opener in three of their last five on this run. However, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven fixtures in that stretch, while six of those matches have produced over 2.5 goals.

Shakhtar Donetsk News

Shakhtar Donetsk came through the first round, picking up a 6-0 aggregate victory over Ilves. The damage was done in the first leg as they eased to a 6-0 home win before holding out for a 0-0 away draw in the second meeting.

The Ukrainians have been solid overall lately and are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 matches across all competitions. However, Arda Turan’s team were beaten 1-0 by Slovenian side Triglav in a friendly last weekend.

Aside from the win over Ilves, Shakhtar Donetsk can also count a 5-0 victory over Grosuplje among their recent results, highlighting their attacking quality. However, they are without a clean sheet in five of their last nine matches, while two of the last four fixtures have produced over 2.5 goals.

Head to Head

Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk have only been involved in friendlies, with the Ukrainians unbeaten in three matches. The visitors claimed a 1-0 victory in the last meeting between both teams back in 2024.

Verdict

Besiktas v Shakhtar Donetsk

Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk are experienced campaigners in Europe and usually know how to navigate their way past this stage. Both teams have scored in the home side's last two matches, which have produced over 2.5 goals, and a repeat is expected here.

With the Turks scoring first in three of their last five matches, they could be backed to grab the opening goal once again.

Yes

Both Teams to Score

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Over 2.5

Total Goals

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Besiktas

To Score First Goal

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