Besiktas vs. Tottenham: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Besiktas will hosts Tottenham Hotspur on the final matchday of the 2014-15 Europa League group stages on Thursday, with the top spot in Group C on the line.
Both clubs have already qualified for the knockout stages, but with the third-placed Champions League teams dropping into the draw, a decent run in the tournament could start by getting a top seed and avoiding a difficult matchup to start the knockout stages.
Spurs lead Besiktas by two points, but if the hosts win, they'll have the advantage of holding the tiebreaker.
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Date: Thursday, December 11
Time: 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET
Venue: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul
TV Info and Live Stream: The match will be broadcast on ITV 4 (for UK viewers) and Fox Sports 1 ( for U.S. viewers), with mobile coverage available via Fox Soccer 2Go.
Preview
Both clubs may have already qualified, but neither manager is taking this match lightly. Avoiding some of the Champions League dropouts like Liverpool or Zenit St. Petersburg will play a big role in whether or not a club has a clear path to the latter stages, and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is expecting a real battle:
At the same time, Thursday's match will give Tottenham a chance to rest some players during the busiest part of the schedule. Premier League clubs are playing two matches per week almost exclusively in December, and such a slate of fixtures can take its toll on the squad.
Emmanuel Adebayor is among those who won't be playing in Istanbul, according to Sports Radio Brila FM:
"Europa League: Emmanuel Adebayor to miss Tottenham's Besiktas clash due to personal reasons.What's your take? pic.twitter.com/Ln48tFZIsH
— Sports Radio BrilaFM (@889BrilaFM) December 10, 2014"
The Turks will be without star striker Demba Ba, who is recovering from a broken toe, via UEFA.com's Turker Tozar:
The former Chelsea star was phenomenal in the first match between Besiktas and Tottenham, terrorising the Spurs' back four. His absence will be a big loss for the hosts.
Tottenham's defence has been lacking for consistency in recent weeks, but the back four hasn't received a lot of help from the men playing right in front of it. Benji Stambouli is expected to start in Istanbul, and he's looking forward to the opportunity, as he told the club's official website:
"I think it’s a good challenge for us to go to Besiktas and to play for first place. The Europa League is a very good competition, we play against good teams and you know it’s always going to be a tough game
We have the possibility to show what Tottenham are able to do, but we know we have to be solid. It’s always a pleasure to play in these games and we are looking forward to playing away to Besiktas.
"
The defence will also be aided by the return of Kyle Walker, who joined the squad on their way to Besiktas after nine months out with injury, via The Guardian sport:
The England international may be given some minutes if he checks out medically ahead of the match, but Pochettino would be wise to ease him back into the team. The top seed in Group C is important, but not nearly as important as having Walker healthy and ready to contribute during the holiday season.
The same can be said for the rest of the squad. For all of the big words spoken ahead of the match, don't expect a tight and physical battle. Both clubs have qualified, and that will be evident on the pitch.
Final Prediction: Besiktas 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur.
