Besiktas vs Crystal Palace prediction: Europa League preview, team news, lineups & h2h

• The Besiktas vs Crystal Palace prediction for the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League examines both teams’ current form, team news, predicted lineups and head-to-head record ahead of their third league-phase fixture.
• Besiktas will host Crystal Palace at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
• Kick-off is scheduled for 10:00pm East Africa Time.

Crystal Palace travel to Turkey hoping to bounce back from their heavy Premier League defeat to Brighton, while Besiktas will be looking to maintain their perfect start to the Europa League campaign.

The Turkish side have collected six points from their opening two European matches, placing them fourth in the 36-team league-phase standings. Palace, meanwhile, sit 15th after winning once and losing once in their first two fixtures.

Besiktas have enjoyed an encouraging start to their European campaign, opening with a convincing 4-1 home victory over Marseille before edging Hoffenheim 3-2 away from home. Oh Hyeon-gyu scored twice in the latter encounter, including a late brace that secured all three points.

However, Besiktas will be looking to respond after suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig last weekend. The result left them fifth in the domestic standings after eight matches, four points behind leaders Galatasaray.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are going through a difficult spell under new manager Pierre Sage. The Eagles were thrashed 5-0 by Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday, conceding three goals in the opening 10 minutes in a performance that exposed their defensive weaknesses.

The defeat came shortly after Palace lost 3-2 away to Lyon in their previous Europa League match. Second-half goals from Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada were not enough to prevent the English side from leaving France empty-handed.

Palace began their European campaign with an impressive 4-0 victory over Lech Poznan, but their recent setbacks have increased the pressure to deliver a response in Istanbul.

Both teams will be eager to return to winning ways, although Besiktas will take confidence from their European home record and attacking performances. Palace must improve defensively if they are to avoid another disappointing result.

Besiktas will welcome Crystal Palace to Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday, October 22, 2026, for a UEFA Europa League league-phase encounter.

Kick-off is scheduled for 10:00pm East Africa Time (EAT).

Besiktas will be without winger Milot Rashica, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury and has been left out of the club’s Europa League squad.

Midfielder Orkun Kokcu is also unavailable as he continues to recover from a foot injury, with a return targeted for next month.

Leandro Trossard is among the options in attack, while Wilfried Ndidi is expected to be considered for a midfield role. Emmanuel Agbadou is also a strong contender to feature in central defence.

For Crystal Palace, Chadi Riad remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

Dean Henderson, Ben Chilwell and Takehiro Tomiyasu will have their fitness assessed after missing the defeat to Brighton. Their availability could influence Sage’s selection, particularly in defence.

Axel Disasi is available again after serving a domestic suspension and could return to the starting lineup alongside Jaydee Canvot and Chris Richards in a three-man defence.

Oscar Mingueza is also pushing for a starting role at right wing-back, while Yeremy Pino and Ismaila Sarr are expected to provide attacking support for Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Palace will need a more organised defensive performance in Istanbul after conceding eight goals across their last two defeats. Their attacking players, however, could still pose a threat if they find enough space to exploit Besiktas.

Besiktas: Nubel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Ozcan, Ndidi, Olaitan; Fakili, Vlahovic, Trossard.

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Canvot, Disasi, Richards; Mingueza, Timber, Wharton, Mitchell; Pino, Sarr; Strand Larsen.

Besiktas and Crystal Palace are set to meet in a European fixture, with no previous competitive meetings between the two clubs listed in the supplied preview.

The Turkish side have won their last four European home matches, a record that will give them confidence heading into the contest.

Palace, however, have already shown their attacking potential in Europe with their 4-0 victory over Lech Poznan. They will need to reproduce that attacking effectiveness while avoiding the defensive errors that proved costly against Lyon and Brighton.

Besiktas have two wins out of two in the Europa League while Crystal Palace have one win and a loss in their two matches.

Both sides share almost similar results in all competitions with Crystal Palace having two wins, three losses, and one draw in six matches while Besiktas has four wins and two losses.

Besiktas head into this fixture with a stronger European record, having won both of their opening league-phase matches and scored seven goals. Their attacking threat could prove decisive against a Crystal Palace side that has struggled to maintain defensive stability.

The Turkish side will also be encouraged by their home form in European competition, having won their last four matches on home soil. They will be keen to respond after their domestic defeat to Trabzonspor and continue their push towards the top of the league-phase standings.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, need a major improvement after losing their last two matches, including the heavy 5-0 defeat to Brighton. Sage will be under pressure to make his side more organised, particularly during the opening stages when they have recently been vulnerable.

Palace have attacking quality through Pino, Sarr and Strand Larsen, and they could trouble the hosts if they take their chances. However, Besiktas have demonstrated greater consistency in Europe and will be confident of creating opportunities in front of their home supporters.

The key battle will be whether Palace can contain Besiktas’ attack while remaining dangerous going forward. If the visitors continue to make defensive mistakes, the hosts could take advantage.

Besiktas’ strong European start and home advantage make them favourites to edge a closely contested encounter. Palace have enough quality to score, but their recent defensive struggles could prove costly once again.