RFS vs. Istanbul Basaksehir Match Analysis and Prediction

by Bryce

3 years ago 692

In the Europa Conference League group stage, Rigas Futbola Skola will look to earn their first win of the season when they host Istanbul Basaksehir in Latvia, with kickoff at 10 pm.

RFS have struggled to find their form in Europe this season, but they are still in with a chance of qualifying for the next round. RFS held Fiorentina to a 1-1 draw in their group opener.

However, they could not take anything from their most recent European outing versus Hearts.

Goals from Lawrence Shankland and Alan Forrest condemned the Latvian champions to a 2-0 home defeat, leaving them in the third position in Group A.

Although they are already five points adrift of Thursday’s opponents, they are only two points away from Hearts ahead of matchday three.

Meanwhile, Istanbul Basaksehir could not have wished for a better start to the season, having won seven of their last eight games in all competitions.

Included in that run of form is a 4-0 victory over Hearts on matchday one of the Europa Conference League and a comfortable win against Fiorentina.

A Serdar Gurler brace and a late strike from Bertrand Traore wrapped up a commanding victory over the Italian side, and victory over Celtic would take them one step closer to qualification for the knockout stages.

RFS vs. Istanbul Head to Head

Both sides have yet to face each other, marking their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:

Home

RFS 6-0 METTA
BFC 1-3 RFS
RFS 0-2 Hearts
RFS 3-0 Spartaks

Away

Ankaragucu 1-2 Istanbul
Basaksehir 0-0 Karagumruk
Basaksehir 3-0 Fiorentina
Besiktas 0-1 Basaksehir

RFS Team News

The Reusians are expected to utilize a back three in the game against Metta, including Vitalijs Jagodinskis, Elvis Stuglis, and Ziga Lipuscek. After scoring a first-half hat-trick in Saturday’s 6-0 win over Metta, Tomislav Saric will continue in central midfield alongside Stefan Panic.

Istanbul Team News

As for the visitors, they are without star midfielder Mesut Ozil, who is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a back problem. But Gurler has appeared as a substitute in Istanbul Basaksehir’s last two league games and will likely play against Fiorentina after scoring a brace against them last week.