Official Boothen Roar Match Preview: Stoke City v Besiktas

Last updated : 28 September 2011 By Dan Buxton

The Potters welcome Besiktas to the Britannia Stadium in tomorrow nights big Europa League game that sees the Potters hoping to get their opening win of the Europa League group stages. 

Stoke finished 13th in the Premier League but qualified after reaching the FA cup final and started their group stage with a 1-1 draw away in Kiev. The visitors qualified for Europe after winning the final of the Turkish Cup but beat Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Stoke had a very good home record last season and beat fourteen sides at the Brit, with only five defeats, also going unbeaten in 11 home games. The Potters have so far beaten Hajduk Split and Thun at home in the previous rounds and have beat Liverpool and drew with Chelsea and Manchester United in their three Premier League home games so far.

This is the first time the two sides have met. 

The MetOffice predict that there will be clear skies, temperatures of a warm 21 degrees celsius, good visibility with a light 9mph wind.

Prediction: The Potters burst out of the blocks and shock their opponents by scoring three unanswered goals before half time through Crouch, Jerome and Pennant. The game runs through the motions after the break as attentions switches to Swansea on Sunday