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Stoke can confirm their place as group E winners in the Europa League when they travel to Istanbul to take on Besiktas on Wednesday.
Having already secured qualification for the knockout stages with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kiev at the Britannia Stadium thanks to a late Kenwyne Jones header earlier this month, Potters boss Tony Pulis has opted to leave the majority of his first team players at home.
In fact all 11 players that started the excellent win over in-form Spurs on Sunday were allowed to put their feet up at home while only 15 players made the journey to Turkey, with his side expected to be made up largely of youngsters.
Pulis has recently managed to reconcile his side’s league form with their efforts on the continent, culminating with the win over Spurs, and now the Welshman will be hoping to show the strength in depth he possesses against Besiktas.
The visitors go into the game on a four game unbeaten streak, crucially with two wins following their last European outings against Kiev.
Their opponents meanwhile go into the game in even better shape with four wins and a draw from their last five.
Stoke’s secret weapon, Rory Delap could well feature after missing most of the 2-1 win over Tottenham at the Britannia Stadium, while fellow first team regular Andy Wilkinson who also missed the game travelled.
Up front Kenwyne Jones should get the chance to start up front alongside Ricardo Fuller, while in goal Asimir Begovic is likely to take up the gloves from Thomas Sorensen, who started against Spurs.
The English side will come up against a Besiktas side that require just a point to ensure their qualification for the final 32, while a win for the home side would mean they snatch top spot at Stoke’s expense.
However they are likely to come up against a strong Besiktas starting line up, but they may go into the game without former Chelsea midfielder Ricardo Quaresma, with the Portuguese facing up to a month on the sidelines after tearing a ligament.
Stoke will have to be watchful of Besiktas striker Hugo Almeida who has demonstrated his talents at numerous top European clubs over the years and will look to further his record of three goals in five European games this season.
Match Winner
With Stoke expected to field a weakened side and Besiktas going well in third place the Turkish Super Lig, the bookmakers are predicting a tough night for the Potters.
Stoke are 5.00 (4/1) with VC Bet to take an unlikely win while the home side are best placed with StanJames at 1.83 (5/6). The Draw is 3.50 (5/2) with SkyBet.
First Goalscorer
Stoke have left behind the likes of Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters after their exertions against Tottenham, leaving the visitors looking somewhat short of firepower.
In fact it is the Besiktas strike force that lead the way – Filip Holosko is the favourite at 7.00 (6/1) with SkyBet while Hugo Almeida is 7.50 (13/2) with BetFred.
Stoke’s best chance of opening the scoring comes through Ricardo Fuller, placed at 10.00 (9/1) with Bet365
Recommended Bets
Winner: Stoke, 5.00 (4/1) VC Bet
First Goalscorer: Hugo Almeida, 14.00 (13/1) BetFred
