Besiktas, founded in 1903, remain one of Turkey’s established powers, based at the Tüpraş Stadyumu and operating this season from fourth place in the Süper Lig. Their squad is a sizeable one – 37 players with an average age of 24 – and is valued at around £234m by Transfermarkt.
Their 2026-27 campaign has had a clear split between Istanbul and everywhere else. At home they have been forceful, averaging 2.8 goals scored and just 0.6 conceded per match. Away from home, the balance is less convincing, with one goal scored and 1.8 conceded on average.
There is enough attacking variety to make them awkward. Dušan Vlahović leads their scoring with six goals, followed by Orkun Kökçü on five, while Vaclav Cerny, Michael Amir Murillo and Hyeon-gyu Oh have each contributed four. They have also tended to start sharply, scoring the first goal inside 20 minutes in six of 15 league matches.
Recent form has been uneven rather than weak: wins over Istanbul Basaksehir, Kocaelispor, BB Erzurumspor and Fenerbahce sit alongside defeats away to Trabzonspor and Amed SK. Their European season has also taken them through the Europa League play-offs and into the League Phase.
For Celtic supporters, Besiktas profile as a strong home side with genuine attacking depth, but one whose away record leaves room for pressure. They are well-resourced, competitive, and currently placed among the upper end of the Süper Lig.
