Gunning down the Black Eagles

As the Kara Kartellar of Istanbul come face-to-face with London’s Gunners, we’ll sit down and take a look at how Wednesday’s second leg match might play out…

ARSENAL

Playing at the Emirates will definitely do Arsenal a world of good, because it was clear from their trip to the Vodafone Arena (which isn’t even Besiktas’ home ground) that the famous Turkish atmosphere is completely unplayable in. Whistles and jeers shook the young British side to their core, and Besiktas had several good chances to kill the game - most notably ex-Chelsea striker Demba Ba’s shot against the crossbar, which was right from kick-off!

With their hero from the weekend at Merseyside (Olivier Giroud) out injured - joining Mikel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs - squad looks a little bit weak. Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sanchez are both looking quite unfit. However, the biggest miss will be the superb Aaron Ramsey, as a red card in the first leg ruled him out of this one.

Tomasz Rosicky and Joel Campbell will be expected to display their vast array of talent, and they could be a match-winning (albeit untested) combination for the Gunners.

However, if the Arsenal are to avoid a terrible European upset, they will surely have to take off their proverbial gloves

BESIKTAS

Having impressed against the English side in the first fixture, the Black Eagles will find a very different Arsenal at home - where they will be much more eager to get forward. The Turkish defence will be thoroughly tested and they will find possession quite hard to come by.

They come into this match with an almost full squad; Atiba Hutchinson having returned from injury. With the domestic league yet to start, they will field a fresh, hungry team in London. However, tough-tackling midfielder Necip Uysal is out with an ankle injury.

Gokhan Tore and Oguzhan Ozyakup (a former Arsenal graduate) will be expected to feed Demba Ba the high, long balls he so likes to punish teams with. The Senegalese striker was a constant threat in the first match, and could have easily have conquered Arsenal in the previous match.

One caveat to their terrific preparation will be the absence of manager Slaven Bilic, who was sent to the stands at the end of last weeks fixture.

Last week’s fixture did little to clarify who might be the winner tonight, as it was a rather cagey match in which the London side were reduced to ten men and showed nothing like the form that has seen them clock an 18th consecutive European season.

Besiktas threatened but showed that if their two midfielders Veli Kavlak and injured Necip Uysal do not halt Arsenal possession in midfield, their soft underbelly will be exposed.

In a match where desire, experience and a bold strike count more than anything, only one side can win the race to the multi-million competition.

On Wednesday night, all the banter and talking will finish, and the football will begin. So be it!