Trabzonspor and Besiktas Set for Goal-Laden Super Lig Clash

Trabzonspor host Besiktas on Monday in a Super Lig fixture that promises goals at both ends. Both clubs arrive in excellent attacking form after high-scoring results in European competition this week, but neither has shown much appetite for defensive discipline lately - a combination that sets up an open, entertaining derby by the Black Sea.

Key Stats

• Trabzonspor have seen over 3.5 goals in their last two home matches.
• Trabzonspor have produced BTTS and over 2.5 goals in four of their last five meetings with Besiktas.
• Besiktas have recorded BTTS and over 2.5 goals in six of their last seven matches.

A Rivalry Where Besiktas Hold the Edge

These two sides have met 121 times in total, with Besiktas holding a narrow historical advantage of 46 wins to 44. It is a fixture with genuine history and weight in Turkish football, and recent meetings suggest the trend toward open, high-scoring contests is only intensifying.

Reis Revolution at Trabzonspor

Thomas Reis's appointment as Fatih Tekke's successor in mid-September has paid immediate dividends, with the German coach guiding Trabzonspor to three consecutive victories. The sequence began with a statement 4-0 demolition of defending champions Galatasaray at home, a match in which Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick and added an assist. A 3-0 away win at Samsunspor followed last weekend, before a midweek trip to Finland produced a 4-2 win over KuPS in Trabzonspor's Conference League opener. Franculino scored twice in that contest, with Paul Onuachu and Salah also finding the net.

Besiktas Riding Their Own Wave of Form

Besiktas head into the match on the back of a notable European result of their own, beating Hoffenheim 3-2 in Germany in a game that finished with an expected-goals reading of 3.33 to 1.15 and a 19-13 shot advantage in their favour. Domestically, Vincenzo Italiano's side sit second in the Super Lig table with 15 points from a possible 21, their only defeats coming on the road against Alanyaspor and Amedspor. Last weekend they beat Kocaelispor 2-1 at home, with Orkun Kokcu and Dusan Vlahovic both scoring in the first half of an open contest in which chances went begging at both ends.

Team News and Expected Lineups

Trabzonspor will be without suspended midfielder Melih Kabasakal, while Onuralp Cevikkan, Mehmet Umut Nayir, Ruslan Malinovskyi and Paul Onuachu remain sidelined through injury. Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Andre Onana; Wagner Pina, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Batista Mendy, Sidny Lopes Cabral; Fabinho, Ozan Tufan; Mohamed Salah, Ernest Muci, Aral Simsir; Franculino Dju.

Besiktas are missing Milot Rashica and Vaclav Cerny, while Dusan Vlahovic is a doubt after picking up a stomach bug in the build-up to the match. Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nubel; Michael Amir Murillo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Emirhan Topcu, Dango Ouattara; Salih Ozcan, Wilfred Ndidi; Fahri Ayberk Fakili, Orkun Kokcu, Leandro Trossard; Oh Hyeon-gyu.

What to Expect

Both teams showed real attacking quality in midweek European action - Trabzonspor's 4-2 win over KuPS and Besiktas's 3-2 triumph at Hoffenheim were far from cautious affairs. Combine that with a head-to-head record that has regularly produced goals at both ends, and Monday's meeting looks set to continue the pattern. Neither side has prioritised clean sheets of late, and with both attacks in form, fans should be in for an entertaining, high-tempo contest in the Super Lig.