Amed SK vs Besiktas: A Thrilling Clash in Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir has waited a long time for evenings like this. A packed Diyarbakir Stadyumu, the lights, the cameras – and Besiktas in town with second place on the line.
Amed SK, in their first Super Lig season, have crashed the party with no intention of leaving quietly. Five games in, they sit third with 10 points, three wins from three at home and 10 goals scored in front of their own fans. Now comes the real examination: the Black Eagles, flying in with 12 points from a possible 15 and a European statement win in their back pocket.
This is not supposed to happen so quickly for a promoted side. Amed are ignoring the script.
Amed’s fearless start
Besnik Hasi’s team have not just survived the opening weeks; they have lit them up. The 5-0 destruction of Istanbul Basaksehir was the loudest message yet.
Emin Bayram’s own goal nudged them ahead just before half time, but the second period turned into the Gift Orban show. The striker tore Basaksehir apart with a ruthless 23-minute hat-trick, a performance that underlined why he has become the early-season headline act. Mbaye Diagne came off the bench to add a fifth late on, sealing a third straight home league victory.
Ten goals in three home matches, six already this season for Orban, five of them in his last two games. Amed are not sneaking results; they are overpowering opponents in their own stadium.
Their form has carried them to third, just two points behind Besiktas. Only one league defeat so far, unbeaten in their last three with two wins wrapped around a draw. For a club still learning the rhythms of the top flight, they have adapted at remarkable speed.
There is a sting in the recent history, though. The only time these sides have met, in the Turkish Cup on this same ground, Besiktas walked away 4-0 winners. That night underlined the gulf between the clubs. Sunday offers Amed a chance to show how much that gap has closed.
Win here and they leapfrog Besiktas into second. That alone tells you how quickly the landscape has shifted.
Besiktas arrive in full flow – but with a warning
Besiktas travel east with their own momentum humming. Vincenzo Italiano has them scoring freely and stacking wins: four victories on the spin in all competitions, with 3-0, 6-2 and 4-1 scorelines in that run.
Their last league outing brought a comfortable 3-0 home win over Erzurumspor. Before that came a gritty 2-1 derby success at Fenerbahce, the sort of away result that can harden belief in a title challenge. Corum were then swept aside 6-2 as the goals continued to flow.
The surge carried into Europe. On Thursday night, Besiktas tore Marseille apart 4-1 in the Europa League, turning a 1-1 half-time score into a second-half rout with three unanswered goals. It was the kind of performance that makes a dressing room feel untouchable.
Yet there is a crack in the armour, and it shows up away from home. Both of Besiktas’ defeats this season have come on the road, back-to-back 1-0 losses at Alanyaspor in the league and Kauno Zalgiris in Europe. Italiano’s team have rarely blown opponents away on their travels, with only one away win by more than a single goal so far.
The derby win at Fenerbahce may prove the turning point in that narrative. It showed they can impose themselves in hostile environments. Diyarbakir will test that again, in a very different kind of cauldron.
There is no previous Super Lig head-to-head between these two clubs. This is a brand-new fixture at the top level, but the stakes already feel like a late-season showdown.
Team news and likely lineups
Hasi’s selection picture is relatively clear. Yira Sor remains sidelined, while Dilhan Demir is still working his way back from a cruciate ligament injury. Beyond that, the Amed coach has the core of the Basaksehir demolition job available and little reason to tinker.
Orban will spearhead the attack once more, with Dia Saba expected to operate just behind him, linking midfield to the front line and feeding the in-form striker.
Amed SK possible starting XI:
Lafont; Krasniqi, Dellova, Bates, Meras; Soyalp, Raveloson; Khalil, Saba, Samuel Ballet; Orban
Besiktas have no fresh major absences reported after the Marseille win. Leandro Trossard remains out, while Vaclav Cerny is a doubt after being forced off with an injury in that Europa League clash.
Italiano is likely to keep faith with the bulk of the side that handled Marseille so comfortably. Orkun Kokcu and Salih Ozcan should again dictate the tempo in midfield, with Dusan Vlahovic leading the line and carrying the main goal threat.
Besiktas possible starting XI:
Nubel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Ozcan; Poku, Kokcu, Olaitan, Fakili; Vlahovic
Prediction: a shootout in the southeast
Everything about this matchup points towards goals. Amed’s ferocious home form, Orban’s hot streak, Besiktas’ attacking rhythm, the emotional charge of a packed Diyarbakir crowd and a visiting side coming off a short turnaround from European duty.
Amed have made their stadium a fortress, and with Orban in this kind of mood they will back themselves to hurt any defence. Besiktas bring superior experience and a deeper squad, but their away record and the travel load keep the door open.
We say: Amed SK 2-2 Besiktas.
If this is a glimpse of Amed’s new reality in the Super Lig, how long before nights like this become their norm rather than their fairytale?
