Amed SK vs Besiktas: Newcomers Challenge Established Power in Diyarbakir

Amed SK have barely had time to hang their Super Lig credentials on the wall. On Sunday night, they host Besiktas at Diyarbakir Stadyumu in what already feels like a measuring-stick game for Turkey’s newest top-flight story.

Five games in, the numbers are startling. Amed sit third with 10 points, three wins from three at home, and 10 goals scored in front of their own fans. Besiktas arrive second with 12 points from a possible 15, four wins from five, and a squad built for title talk, not survival scraps.

Something has to give in Diyarbakir. Or it might not.

Amed’s fearless start

Amed have not tiptoed into the Super Lig. They’ve kicked the door down.

The latest evidence came in a 5-0 dismantling of Istanbul Basaksehir, a scoreline that would have turned heads even if it had happened in a pre-season friendly. It came in the league. Under pressure. And it was ruthless.

Emin Bayram’s own goal nudged Amed ahead just before the interval, but the second half turned into the Gift Orban show. The striker, already the headline act of their season, struck three times in 23 minutes to blow the game apart and underline the ferocity of this attack.

Mbaye Diagne added a late fifth to complete another statement night in Diyarbakir. That result made it three wins from three at home and pushed Amed’s home league tally to double figures: 10 goals in three matches, a record that belongs more to a title challenger than a newly promoted side.

Besnik Hasi has lost just once in the league so far. His team are unbeaten in three, with two wins wrapped around a draw, and they sit only two points behind Besiktas. Win on Sunday and Amed leapfrog their visitors into second place.

There is a warning from history, though. The only previous meeting between these clubs came in the Turkish Cup on this ground and ended in a bruising 4-0 defeat for Amed. This time, the stakes are higher and the context very different, but that scoreline still lingers in the background.

Besiktas arrive in full flow

Besiktas, though, are rolling.

Under Vincenzo Italiano, the Black Eagles have stitched together four straight wins in all competitions, scoring freely and showing the kind of authority expected of a club of their stature.

Their last league outing was a controlled 3-0 victory over Erzurumspor, which followed a gritty 2-1 derby win away at Fenerbahce and a 6-2 thrashing of Corum. The goals are coming from all angles, and the confidence is obvious.

They carried that form into Europe on Thursday, tearing through Marseille 4-1 in the Europa League. Level at 1-1 at half time, Besiktas accelerated after the break, hitting three second-half goals to underline their superiority and stretch this winning run.

Yet there is a crack in the armour. Both of Besiktas’s defeats this season have come away from home, and both by the same 1-0 scoreline: first at Alanyaspor in the league, then at Kauno Zalgiris in Europe. Those results still hang over their away form.

They have only once won by more than a single goal on their travels this season. The victory at Fenerbahce hinted at a shift, a result big enough to stiffen belief that they can dominate hostile environments again. Diyarbakir will test that theory.

Team news and likely XIs

Amed’s selection picture is relatively clear. Yira Sor is still expected to miss out, and Dilhan Demir remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.

Hasi should otherwise be able to lean on the same core that ripped through Basaksehir. Gift Orban will again spearhead the attack, with Dia Saba operating just behind him, tasked with linking midfield to that devastating front line.

Amed SK possible starting lineup:

• Lafont; Krasniqi, Dellova, Bates, Meras; Soyalp, Raveloson; Khalil, Saba, Samuel Ballet; Orban

Besiktas, by contrast, report no major fresh absences from the win over Marseille. Leandro Trossard remains unavailable, while Vaclav Cerny is a doubt after being forced off in that Europa League tie.

Italiano is expected to keep faith with the bulk of the side that dismantled Marseille. Orkun Kokcu and Salih Ozcan should again control the centre of the pitch, with Dusan Vlahovic leading the line.

Besiktas possible starting lineup:

• Nubel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Yilmaz; Ozcan; Poku, Kokcu, Olaitan, Fakili; Vlahovic

A new rivalry at the top level

There is no Super Lig history between these two. No old grudges, no catalogue of controversial nights. This is a fresh fixture at the highest level, dropped into a season where both sides already feel like central characters.

Amed’s home record makes them a daunting proposition. Orban, with six goals already and five in his last two matches, is playing like a striker who expects to score every time he steps onto this pitch. Besiktas bring the weight of experience, the deeper squad, and the momentum of a four-game winning streak, but also the fatigue of a Thursday night in Europe.

The short turnaround, the intensity of Diyarbakir, and the hosts’ ferocious form at home all point toward a game that should swing, surge, and open up at both ends.

Prediction: Amed SK 2-2 Besiktas.

If this is what Amed look like in week six, what happens when the title contenders have to keep coming back to Diyarbakir?