Trabzonspor have found real momentum since Thomas Reis took charge. He has won all three of his competitive matches so far: 4-0 at home to Galatasaray, 3-0 away at Samsunspor and 4-2 at KuPS in the Conference League on Thursday. The home starts have been the most striking part. Against Galatasaray they were 3-0 up at the interval, with Salah scoring twice before the break, and according to match reports they also led Gençlerbirliği 3-0 at half-time in a 5-0 win in September. The squad is stretched, however. Malinovskyi, Batagov, Okay Yokuşlu, Onuachu and young goalkeeper Onuralp Çevikkan are injured, and Melih Kabasakal is suspended after his red card against Samsunspor.
Vincenzo Italiano's Beşiktaş have 15 points from seven league games, with five wins and two defeats. Away from home the picture is mixed: they won the derby 2-1 at Fenerbahçe in early September, but lost 3-2 at Amedspor two weeks later. Since the international break they have beaten Kocaelispor 2-1 at home and won 3-2 at Hoffenheim in the Europa League. That trip came at a cost. Captain Orkun Kökçü was injured in Germany and has not travelled to Trabzon, and Milot Rashica is still sidelined. Dušan Vlahović, who missed the Hoffenheim game through illness, is back in the squad, but reports differ on whether he starts or begins on the bench.
History is finely balanced, but Trabzon has been a difficult venue for Beşiktaş. They have not won in their last five league visits (four draws and one defeat), and their most recent win there came in the 2020-21 season. The two latest meetings were both lively: a 3-3 draw in Trabzon in December 2025, and a 2-1 Trabzonspor win in Istanbul in May 2026. In terms of how the match may unfold, we expect Trabzonspor to push hard from the first whistle in front of their own crowd, as they did against Galatasaray, while Beşiktaş must cope without Kökçü, their captain and main creative force in midfield.
There are clear risks. Both teams played away in Europe on Thursday, and with only three days' rest both coaches may rotate, which could make the opening half cagey. The December meeting showed that Beşiktaş can hurt Trabzonspor early in Trabzon, when they led 3-1 at the break, and the home side are missing several regulars. A half-time bet also needs Trabzonspor to be ahead after 45 minutes, so a level score at the interval means a losing bet. We have still chosen this market over the 1X2, because the full-time prices are close to even and in our view do not fully reflect how strong Trabzonspor's first halves at home have been recently. A full-time bet would also be more exposed to Beşiktaş's ability to come back late.
Trabzonspor at half-time is available at 3.11 with Pinnacle at OddsCapo, which corresponds to an implied probability of roughly 32 per cent. We put the chance at around 35 per cent, based on their first-half output at Papara Park and the absences and travel load on the Beşiktaş side. It is a modest edge rather than a large one, and the price reflects a genuine possibility that the bet loses. Even so, we think the odds are fair to slightly generous, and that is why we are backing Trabzonspor to lead at half-time.
Betting tip: Trabzonspor at half-time @ 3.11 (Pinnacle)
Odds were taken from OddsCapo on Monday and may have changed. Always check the price with the bookmaker before you bet.
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