Basaksehir vs SK Rapid prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-10-01 14:30.
[p]The fourth edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) will see it take on the new League Phase format imposed on all UEFA competitions, but that’s not all that is new as the UECL welcomes Başakşehir as first-time competitors. The Turkish side came through two qualifying rounds and the two-legged playoff to grace the continental stage this season, after missing out last term. [/p]
[p]Before that the Grey Owls had recently competed in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League (UEL) group stages, meaning they’re not unaccustomed to the pressures of the European circuit. So they’ll tackle Rapid Vienna at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium in their tournament opener, aiming to use their successful, yet limited, prior experience against Austrian teams as motivation, having beaten Wolfsberger home and away without conceding in their 2019/20 UEL campaign. [/p]
[p]Rapid are therefore preparing for their first ever fixture against BaĹźakĹźehir, in what will be their second appearance in the UECL after their run to the intermediate stage in 2021/22. Â The Austrians will back themselves against any Turkish opposition, after they tipped their 20-game record against Turkish clubs in their favour earlier in the season (W10, D2, L8) by beating Trabzonspor in both legs of their third round UEL qualifying tie in August.[/p]
[p]The Green and Whites went on to lose the resulting UEL playoff round to Portugal’s Braga to end up in the UECL, something they’ll be greatly looking forward to having missed out on European football proper in both of the last two seasons. Their ultimate test will be how they perform on the road in what is notoriously a hostile environment, since Robert Klauß’s men have won just once on their last five road trips (D2, L2). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Krzysztof Piątek has proven to be Başakşehir’s main threat as he scored in half of their UECL qualifying matches, netting four goals in those games with three of them coming after half-time. His opposing #9 Guido Burgstaller will be out to undo his opposition early on, since the four goals he scored in qualifying all came in the first-half. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Both teams have scored in eight of Rapid’s last 11 matches. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]