Can Beşiktaş turn the pressure into a convincing home response? Prediction for Beşiktaş vs Çorum FK - 31.08.2026
Beşiktaş will host Çorum FK at Tüpraş Stadyumu on Monday, August 31, in the third round of the Turkish Süper Lig. Vincenzo Italiano's side are looking to bounce back after a disappointing league defeat at Alanyaspor, while the newcomers from Çorum have taken one point from their first two matches in the top flight. Kick-off in Istanbul is scheduled for 21:30 local time.
Beşiktaş: time for a reaction in front of their own supporters
The start of the league campaign has not been completely convincing for Beşiktaş. The Black Eagles opened with a narrow 1-0 home victory over Eyüpspor before suffering a 1-0 defeat away to Alanyaspor. They also lost 1-0 to Kauno Žalgiris in Lithuania on Thursday, although the result did not prevent them from reaching the Europa League league phase after a 3-0 victory in the first leg.
The home numbers tell a very different story. Beşiktaş have won each of their last four competitive matches at Tüpraş Stadyumu: 1-0 against Midtjylland, 1-0 against Hradec Králové, 1-0 against Eyüpspor and 3-0 against Kauno Žalgiris. They did not concede in any of those four games, and the latest European home performance demonstrated how dangerous Italiano's team can be when they manage to establish an aggressive tempo from the opening minutes.
The defeat in Lithuania should also provide additional motivation. Italiano admitted after the game that his players lacked tempo and were not mentally at 100%, while stressing that he expected a different level of concentration in the league. He also noted that Dusan Vlahovic and Leandro Trossard are gradually gaining rhythm, which is particularly important for a team that now needs to turn territorial superiority into more goals.
With Orkun Kökçü controlling the creative side of midfield and Vaclav Cerny, Trossard, Hyeongyu Oh and Vlahovic giving Italiano several options in the final third, Beşiktaş have considerably more individual quality than their upcoming opponents.
Çorum FK: an impressive introduction, followed by a reality check
Çorum earned promotion by beating Esenler Erokspor 2-0 in the First League playoff final in May, and their first weeks among Turkey's elite have already shown that they are not going to play with fear.
Uğur Uçar's team produced one of the surprises of the opening round by drawing 2-2 away to Galatasaray. Çorum recovered from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, with Alexandros Kyziridis scoring the equaliser before Jesús Ramírez put the visitors in front. However, Kyziridis was later sent off, and Galatasaray eventually rescued a point late in the game.
The second round was much less successful. Çorum lost 1-0 at home to Kasımpaşa, conceding early and failing to find an equaliser. That result left the newly promoted club with one point from their first two league matches.
There is also a significant personnel issue ahead of the trip to Istanbul. Kyziridis received a two-match suspension following his red card against Galatasaray and will therefore miss the Beşiktaş game. His absence removes one of Çorum's most dangerous transition players and a footballer who had already shown his finishing ability against the champions. Cemali Sertel, meanwhile, has recently been working separately from the squad under the supervision of a physiotherapist because of injury.
Probable lineups
- Beşiktaş: Nübel; Murillo, Agbadou, Djaló, Rıdvan Yılmaz; Salih Özcan, Junior Olaitan; Cerny, Kökçü, Trossard; Vlahovic.
- Çorum FK: Marcos Felipe; Gökhan Sazdağı, Alexandre Penetra, Hrvoje Smolčić, Andrei Borza; Ylber Ramadani, Fredy, Markus Karlsbakk; Mohamed Diomandé, Mame Thiam, Jesús Ramírez.
Beşiktaş should turn their superiority into goals: Beşiktaş vs Çorum FK prediction
There is an obvious risk in asking Beşiktaş to win by at least two goals when they have scored only once in their first two league matches. However, the circumstances of this particular fixture make the more aggressive handicap attractive.
Beşiktaş return to a stadium where they have won four consecutive competitive matches without conceding. Italiano has publicly demanded a reaction after the low-tempo performance in Lithuania, while several of his most important attacking players are gradually getting closer to full match rhythm. Against a newly promoted opponent, the hosts should dominate possession and spend long periods around the Çorum penalty area.
Çorum have already shown that they can be brave against stronger opposition, particularly in transition, but the absence of Kyziridis reduces that threat. Defending for long periods at Tüpraş Stadyumu is also a very different challenge, and if Beşiktaş score early, their superior squad depth and individual quality should create opportunities for the margin to grow in the second half.
Prediction: Beşiktaş (-1.5) handicap.
