Besiktas, Antalyaspor battle for Turkish Super Cup in Doha today

Besiktas and Antalyaspor (right) players warm up during a training session yesterday on the eve of their Turkish Super Cup match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil

Turkey’s two premier clubs – Besiktas and Antalyaspor will lock horns at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan today evening hoping to lift the Turkish Super Cup title.Besiktas, nicknamed ‘The Black Eagles’ are now unbeaten in all but one of their last five games in all competitions, claiming three wins and one draw. Besiktas, also boast a fine record over Antalyaspor, will be looking to extend their dominance and clinch their 10th Super Cup win.  In Doha, they will trade tackles with Antalyaspor for the Super Cup title after securing the league double last season.Meanwhile, Antalyaspor booked their place in this season’s Super Cup after finishing runners-up in the Turkish Cup last season. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Qatar Football Association for the 2021 Turkish Super Cup has made the final preparations towards hosting the match successfully. The Turkish Super Cup is being held in Qatar for the first time, after all the earlier editions were played in Turkey and Germany. The match will kick off at 8:45pm. The LOC has agreed with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), to set the percentage of spectator attendance at the game to a maximum of 25% of the capacity of Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Over the past two years, Doha hosted many important official international matches amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the AFC Champions League competitions for the West and East regions and the AFC Champions League final 2020.Doha also hosted the Italian Super Cup in 2014 and 2016, and other international friendly matches due to its enormous organisational capabilities and distinguished facilities that make it the premier destination for various football events.Besiktas, who are currently ranked seventh in the Turkish league this season, hold nine Turkish Super Cup titles, the last of which came in 2006. In contrast, Antalyaspor have never won the title and are ranked fifteenth in the league.Antalyaspor, guided by their Dutch coach Alfons Groenendijk, head into today’s game fresh off the back of a 2-1 win over Giresunspor in round 4 of the Turkish Cup last Tuesday.While Antalyaspor will be seeking to clinch their first-ever Super Cup title, they face the stern test of going up against an opposing side who they have failed to beat in their last five attempts. Overall, Antalyaspor have won just one of the last eight meetings against Besiktas.Besiktas have been utterly dominant in the history of this fixture, claiming 27 wins from the last 39 meetings between the teams. Antalyaspor have managed just five wins, while seven games have ended in draws.Besiktas, however, will be missing the services of Mert Gunok, Necip Uysal, Ajdin Hasic and Gokhan Tore, who have all been sidelined through injuries.Antalyaspor too will be sans a few of their key players like Ufuk Akyol, Harun Alpsoy, Dogukan Nelik and Enzo Crivelli - all nursing injuries.Possible XIBesiktas (4-3-3): Ersin Destanoglu; Valentin Rosier, Welinton, Francisco Montero, Domagoj Vida; Atiba Hutchinson, Miralem Pjanic, Mehmet Topal; Rachid Ghezzal, Cyle Larin, Michy BatshuayiAntalyaspor (3-4-3): Ruud Boffin; Veysel Sar?, Naldo, Fedor Kudryashov; Bünyamin Balc?, Fredy Ribiero, Güray Vural, Deni Milosevic; Do?ukan Sinik, Paul Omo Mukairu, Amilton