Maccabi Tel Aviv and Besiktas both failed to win in the opening round of the EuroLeague. Playing on a neutral court in Belgrade should not trouble the nominal hosts — they should capitalise on the underdogs' run of poor results.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi suffered a surprise defeat in the opening round of the EuroLeague, allowing ASVEL to pull 10 points clear (74:84). The Tel Aviv team conceded 16 three-pointers and also committed plenty of fouls (20). In domestic competition, though, Maccabi beat Ironi comfortably (109:61).
Besiktas
Besiktas' problems were apparent even in pre-season. They struggled in their final friendly against Partizan (71:89), then lost three more matches in a row in competitive play. Besiktas ran Valencia close in the EuroLeague (94:96), but their heavy Super League defeat to Anadolu Efes (81:95) showed how badly things had gone. Much of the problem is the squad's lack of cohesion — the newcomers have yet to settle into playing together.
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Besiktas Prediction
Without the injured Jeffries, Besiktas will have less depth across the squad. Maccabi look much more promising ahead of this meeting. The Tel Aviv team should secure their first EuroLeague win 30 September 2026.
