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Background: Arsenal v Beşiktaş

Arsenal FC have yet to lose a qualifying tie – or concede at home to Turkish opponents – as Beşiktaş JK return to London for their UEFA Champions League play-off decider.

Arsenal's Nacho Monreal has an attempt at goal during the first leg
Arsenal's Nacho Monreal has an attempt at goal during the first leg ©AFP/Getty Images

The scene shifts to north London for the second leg of Arsenal FC's UEFA Champions League play-off against Beşiktaş JK, with the Gunners yet to concede at home to Turkish opposition.

Previous meetings
Beşiktaş were unable to find a way through the Arsenal defence in Tuesday's first leg, which the visitors finished with ten men after Aaron Ramsey's late sending-off.

Form guide
• Ahead of their trip to Istanbul, Arsenal had yet to lose over 90 minutes to Turkish sides, conceding just twice in seven meetings: W4 D3 L0 (W2 D1 L0 at home – W2 D1 L0 away). However, those games include the 2000 UEFA Cup final, which Arsène Wenger's men lost 4-1 on penalties to Galatasaray AŞ following 120 goalless minutes in Copenhagen.

Arsenal have never shipped a goal at home to Turkish opponents.

• Before the first leg, Beşiktaş's record in 14 matches against English clubs read W4 D3 L7 (W2 D3 L3 at home – W2 D0 L4 in England). Those home games included a 2-0 UEFA Champions League reverse to Chelsea FC staged in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, in December 2003, due to concerns in the wake of a terrorist attack in Istanbul.

• The last of Beşiktaş's five UEFA Champions League group stage campaigns was in 2009/10; Arsenal have featured in the last 16 UEFA Champions League group stages.

Arsenal eliminated another Turkish team in last season's play-offs, beating Fenerbahçe SK 3-0 in Istanbul and 2-0 in London.

Arsenal went into the tie having won all 12 previous UEFA Champions League play-off matches, ousting GNK Dinamo Zagreb (2006/07), AC Sparta Praha (2007/08), FC Twente (2008/09), Celtic FC (2009/10), Udinese Calcio (2011/12) and Fenerbahçe (2013/14).

Beşiktaş are unbeaten in their last three UEFA Champions League away games, with that run containing a famous 1-0 success at Manchester United FC in the 2009/10 group phase.

• This is Beşiktaş's second match in London. The first was a 2-0 triumph over Chelsea, Sergen Yalçın scoring twice (24 28) as Mircea Lucescu's Black Eagles inflicted the Blues' first defeat under new owner Roman Abramovich – despite being reduced to ten men for much of the second half following the dismissal of İlhan Mansız. No Turkish side has scored an away goal in London in three matches since.

Links and trivia
• Demba Ba, who hit a hat-trick on his first Beşiktaş start in the third qualifying round, struck twice against Arsenal on 29 December 2012 – as Newcastle United FC went down 7-3 on his last appearance before joining Chelsea.

• German-born Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil is of Turkish extraction: his family are from a village in Zonguldak province in northern Turkey.

Beşiktaş midfielder Kerim Koyunlu played for Arsenal's London rivals Fulham FC from 2011–13, figuring as a substitute in a 2-1 victory and a 1-0 reverse against the Gunners.

Beşiktaş's Croatian coach Slaven Bilić knows English football from his time as a player with another London club, West Ham United FC (1995–97), and with Everton FC (1997–2000).