Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions

Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews in Europa League qualifying. Besiktas host Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday evening in the Europa League Second Qualifying Round first leg, a standout tie featuring two experienced European contenders. Read on for our free predictions and tips.

Europa League | Jul 24 2025 at 7:00 pm UK at Vodafone Arena

Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions

Can Besiktas’ Spending Power Subdue Shakhtar’s European Grit?

• Shakhtar’s Away Woes Continue: The Ukrainian side are winless in their last seven European away games, including five defeats—clear evidence they struggle outside familiar territory.
• Besiktas Reliable at Home: Eleven wins in their last 18 Super Lig home matches underlines their strength at Vodafone Park, making them formidable hosts even against continental opposition.
• Besiktas’ Leaky Defence: They’ve kept just two clean sheets in their last 13 matches—so while a win looks likely, expecting a clean sheet might be wishful thinking.

Best Bet for Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk

European nights under the lights are often wrapped in tension, expectation, and a touch of chaos—and Thursday’s Europa League qualifying tie between Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk looks set to deliver all three in full. The setting? Istanbul’s Taksim district, where the newly assembled Besiktas squad will step onto the pitch not just to progress, but to prove that their summer spending spree was more than just a headline-grabbing gamble. Opposite them, Shakhtar arrive from Ukraine with less fanfare, fewer resources, and absolutely nothing to lose—always a dangerous combination.

Besiktas were made to sweat last season, and a late surge wasn’t enough to secure direct group-stage qualification. As a result, they find themselves navigating through potentially tricky qualifiers, and this one is anything but routine. Arda Turan’s Shakhtar are perhaps not the European powerhouse they once were, but there’s still grit and guile in that team—qualities that can make a mockery of form and odds.

Throw into the mix that both clubs are under relatively fresh management, led by two ex-superstars now donning the manager’s coat, and we’ve got a narrative straight out of a Netflix drama: two fallen giants, reinventing themselves, clashing for relevance on a European stage. The stakes are high, the pressure palpable, and the margin for error? Practically non-existent.

Best Bet for This Match: Besiktas to Win

Here at BettingTips4You, we like to cut through the noise and give you the clearest path to value. That’s why we’re not going to bombard you with three or four speculative bets. We pick one, and only one—the best available based on form, team strength, tactical outlook, and context. For this clash, our standout recommendation is a home win for Besiktas.

Let’s not beat around the bush—Besiktas haven’t overhauled their squad and brought in the likes of Joao Mario, Kokcu and Tammy Abraham to crash out in the qualifiers. There’s been genuine ambition behind their transfer activity. While their pre-season didn’t exactly light up the sky, that’s largely irrelevant now. Competitive fixtures hit different, especially when they’re played on home soil, under pressure, and with European progression on the line.

Shakhtar, for all their pedigree, are on shaky footing. They breezed past Finnish side Ilves—hardly a benchmark for what awaits them in Istanbul. Their away form in Europe has been, frankly, awful. No wins in their last seven games outside Ukraine tells you everything. Sure, they might manage to nick a goal—especially with Alisson looking dangerous—but you’d have to be mad to back them to keep a clean sheet, let alone nick a result here.

Besiktas, even without a fully firing Rashica or Oxlade-Chamberlain (injured and possibly on his way out), have enough depth and attacking flair to put this game beyond reach before the second leg.

BettingTips4You.com expert quote:

*“This isn’t just a match; it’s a referendum on Besiktas’ summer ambition. They’ve gone all in with marquee signings, and at home, against a Shakhtar side that’s faltering on the road, they should deliver.” – Wolfgang Shotten

Given the context, we’re backing a 2-1 win for Besiktas. They’ve been leaky at the back—conceding in their last 11 competitive matches—but at the other end, firepower isn’t in short supply. Shakhtar might get on the scoresheet through Sudakov or Alisson, but the Istanbul crowd and Besiktas’ sharper edge should make the difference.

Selected Bookmakers Offers