Besiktas – Crystal Palace: Preview
We have the predictions for the match between Besiktas and Crystal Palace in the third round of the 2026/27 Champions League group stage.
"Besiktas" has not been able to effectively chase the leaders of the Turkish league. "Crystal Palace" faces much more realistic tasks, but they are also not up to par.
Key Points
Besiktas
1. "Besiktas" does not accept middle tones
The "Black Eagles", who finished fourth in the Turkish Super League last season, still cannot even aspire to that position. Vincenzo Italiano’s side has not recorded a draw this season and replaces quality matches with unlucky results. The most memorable was the trip to Germany, where the Turkish club secured a 3–2 win over Hoffenheim with five goals in the second half.
The "black and white" team dominated the initiative, but the Germans made the most of their chances.
The encounter with Crystal Palace follows the defeat to Trabzonspor (0–2), where the Italian side also offered a good fight.
2. Rashica will not play, Kechju injured, Mirtti cannot contribute much
From a squad perspective, the coach has a significant loss: Milot Rashica, who returned from the Kosovo national team with an injury, although the focus is not on him. In the match against Hoffenheim, Orkun Kechju was substituted due to an ankle injury; he is currently the best player in the team on average value and leads Besiktas in productive actions (5+4). Fabio Mirtti, as the main alternative, has had good results in the last three matches, but he cannot provide the same contribution; the loss to Trabzonspor confirms this.
3. At home Besiktas scores even more
Vincenzo Italiano’s offensive play has already been heavily discussed, but lately in home matches, Besiktas seems more dangerous. In the last five home games, the "black and white" team has scored 18 times, even against a strong "Marseille" (4–1). Crystal Palace, which allows opponents to hit their goalkeepers more frequently in England, should be more alert.
Crystal Palace
1. "Palace" continues to wobble between "regular" and "bad"
Regarding Crystal Palace, no small optimism can be accepted. In the Premier League, Pierre Sajé’s side has only beaten problematic teams such as Fulham (3–2) and Nottingham Forest (3–1), finishing 15th, and in the Champions League, the "Eagles" managed to beat Lech Poznań (4–0) but did not earn points in a close match against Lyon (2–3). The defeat to the French club was just one of several, and the trip to Brighton ended in failure (0–5). There was a missed goal from midfield and only one shot on target; the visitors have a lot to recover.
2. Chilwell, Tomiyasu, Henderson and Riad will not play, Kamada, Timber and Warton in form
In the "glass" laboratory, Ben Chilwell, Takahiro Tomiyasu, Danny Henderson and Chadi Riad are present. The biggest difficulty is the loss of the Moroccan centre‑back, although overall the losses are not critical. Crystal Palace’s defence is as weak as its midfield line; Daichi Kamada, Adam Warton and Quintin Timber manage to work on both sides of the pitch even in gloomy matches. Walter Benítez’s goalkeeping is essential; without him, the few successful matches would have turned into disasters.
3. Palace’s away trips are as problematic as the defences
Between home and away matches of the "Eagles", there is a clear separation. At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace has scored at least twice in four of six games and at least once disappointed Manchester City (1–4), while on the road, Sajé has conceded two goals in four of five matches, although he failed to score against Leeds (0–0), Everton (0–2) and Brighton (0–5).
Approximate Formations
4-1-4-1 3-4-2-1
Neubell 11
Watara 53
Topchu 35
Jalo 62
Murillo 6
Ozkhan 19
Trossard 21
Mirtti 15
Olaitan 29
Fakili 28
Vlahovic 44
Benítez 8
Lerma 26
Richardson 6
Cano 25
Halili 20
Warton 23
Timber 3
Mitchell 18
Kamada 10
Pino 22
Strand‑Larsen
Betting on the trend
In the last five home matches, Besiktas scored at least twice. In four of five away matches, Crystal Palace conceded at least twice.
IT1B 1.5 to 1.82
In seven of eight recent Besiktas matches and eight of ten recent CP matches, at least three goals were scored.
TB 3 to 1.91
Prediction
Besiktas vs Crystal Palace 22.10.2026 23:00
"Besiktas" has recently had a lack of victories, but their character is abundant. A great win over Hoffenheim (3–2) in Germany remains a notable achievement, although the "black and white" team's strength still lies in the Tüfpan game.
Crystal Palace tries to fight with all its might. In the EPL, the "Eagles" have two wins in seven matches, in the CL a pleasant win over Lech (4–0) and a battle defeat against Lyon (2–3). Away matches remain problematic, where the "glass" team not only concedes more but also scores much less.
It is unlikely that Besiktas will face too many difficulties in this game. At home, the Turkish club is stable in attack and won each of the eight home matches in the season, while Crystal Palace suffers heavily away from Selhurst Park and fails to resolve defensive problems.
Prediction: 3-1
