Trabzonspor vs Besiktas

Italiano says Beşiktaş want to be the side that controls the game, keeps the ball and creates the chances at Papara Park, and across ten games they've averaged 62% possession. The catch is that their most convincing recent win didn't look like that: at Hoffenheim they had 46% and the decisive goals came from quick breaks finished by Oh Hyeon-gyu. Trabzonspor have the same habit, beating Galatasaray 4-0 with 46% of the ball and losing 0-1 at Konyaspor with 71%. Two teams that look sharper reacting than carrying, and the real question is which of them is fit enough in midfield to sit off and run.

Their European wins left me with a question about how each side handles the *next* spell of pressure. Trabzonspor made plenty of chances against KuPS but also gave KuPS good looks; Besiktas did most of their damage against Hoffenheim after a quiet first half. In this match, the interesting contest is whether either midfield can interrupt that swing before it becomes another wave of chances. A strong attacking spell does not settle what happens when the ball changes hands.