Tottenham v Besiktas: Well-drilled visitors to keep score low

Having drawn a blank at Partizan on matchday one, Tottenham could really use a big result against Besiktas at White Hart Lane to assert their authority in Group C.

However, as arch rivals Arsenal found out during their two-legged Champions League qualifier against the same opposition – which they only scraped through 1-0 on aggregate – the Turkish club will not be compliant in that mission.

Here’s how we see the contest shaping up in the form of three well-constituted bets:

Under 2.5 goals @ 9/10

Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed to score in Belgrade on matchday one and subsequently at home to West Brom in the Premier League also, so will find this Besiktas side a tough nut to crack, even with home advantage.

A late flurry against much-tinkered-with Championship outfit Nottingham Forest is hardly sufficient evidence the Lilywhites will suddenly relocate their scoring boots either.

This bet would have landed in all of the Turkish visitors’ last seven games, a run in which they have not conceded more than once in a single match and kept three separate clean sheets also.

First-half score 0-0 @ 7/4

If goals do arrive then they are likely to come once the referee has enjoyed his half-time cuppa, as they have during all three of Spurs’ most recent matches.

It’s now four all-competition games for the Lillyhwhites where the deadlock has remained intact until the second 45 minutes.

Roberto Soldado to score last @ 4/1

Pochettino is obviously as underwhelmed as most onlookers by the Spanish forward, who has only seen about 40 minutes of Premier League action so far.

Nevertheless, like last season Soldado is still scoring in the cup competitions, bagging once in the Europa League and again in the Capital One Cup win over Forest.

It’s unlikely the former Valencia man is trusted from the start, but he’ll most probably introduced as a second-half substitute where he’s capable of having the final say at the Lane.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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