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Success a tall order for Beşiktaş

Coach Jean Tigana hopes Beşiktaş JK can keep the ball on the ground as they go in search of a point – and a UEFA Cup Round of 32 place – at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Coach Jean Tigana hopes Beşiktaş JK can keep the ball on the ground as they go in search of a point – and a UEFA Cup Round of 32 place – at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Last chance
The Istanbul side arrive in Germany in third place in Group B, a position they will hold on to provided they can at least draw against Michael Skibbe's side at the BayArena. Beşiktaş may be troubled by problems with fitness and consistency but their French coach is just as concerned about his players' height - or lack of it. "The match will be like a final," said Tigana. "Our biggest handicap will be the relative lack of height of our players. Leverkusen have lots of tall players and therefore we need to keep the ball away from our defence and goal. As far as I am concerned, our chances are 50-50."

Optimistic assessment
Those odds seem optimistic in some respects. Beşiktaş are without defender Gökhan Zan with a shoulder injury, Argentinian playmaker Matías Delgado due to a knee problem, while defender Mustafa Doğan has been ruled out with a leg injury. With Gökhan and Doğan providing much of the Turkish team's aerial presence in defence – not to mention a significant threat at set-pieces – Tigana will be forced to make emergency repairs, with midfielders Koray Avcı, İbrahim Toraman and İbrahim Üzülmez all candidates to step into defensive positions.

Work in progress
Going forward, Beşiktaş have had problems of a different sort. Still regarded as a work in progress, they are yet to embark on the sort of winning run that would send confidence coursing through their squad - they have managed ten victories in the league and UEFA Cup this season but never a longer run than three wins in a row. Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Márcio Nobre has so far failed to live up to his billing since joining from Fenerbahçe SK.

Wise coach
His compatriot Bobo represents Beşiktaş's main goal threat at the moment with seven goals to his name this season, and another Brazilian may yet be the key to their success. Long confined to the substitutes' bench, playmaker Ricardinho is suddenly coming into his own and may earn a starting place at the BayArena. "Both sides have powerful players but the team who is more successful in attack will win the game," said Tigana. "I have watched five Leverkusen matches and I know everything about them. If we play the way we know we can, we can get the result we want."

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