Beşiktaş aim to keep momentum going against Monaco

Beşiktaş JK are within sight of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time, leaving AS Monaco FC struggling to keep pace in the race for a top-two finish in Group G.

• The Turkish team made it nine points from nine in the section by coming from behind to win 2-1 in France on matchday three, and another victory would take Beşiktaş into the last 16 for the first time. Even a draw would be enough, providing RB Leipzig win at FC Porto in the other matchday four fixture.

• Beşiktaş are five points clear at the top of the table after winning at Porto on the opening night (3-1) and then overcoming Leipzig 2-0 in Istanbul prior to the matchday three success at the Stade Louis II. Leonardo Jardim's Monaco have a single point to their name and have lost the last two, beaten 3-0 at home by Porto on matchday two having opened with a 1-1 draw at debutants Leipzig.

• Matchday three was a first meeting for these clubs, but each played opponents from the other's country in 2016/17.

Match background

Beşiktaş
• Beşiktaş are unbeaten at home to French opposition (W3 D1) and have won the last three encounters. The most recent was against Olympique Lyonnais – whose team included Rachid Ghezzal, now with Monaco – who won last season's UEFA Europa League quarter-final 7-6 on penalties after a 2-1 first-leg home win for the French club was matched by their opponents in the second game in Istanbul.

• The Black Eagles have never kept a clean sheet at home to French visitors.

• The Turkish side have won their last four European home fixtures, beating Leipzig 2-0 on matchday two, and are unbeaten in their last ten matches in Istanbul (W5 D5) since a 3-1 loss to Club Brugge KV in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 16. That is the sole reverse in their last 18 European home games (W10 D7).

• Beşiktaş drew all three home games in last season's group stage, and had drawn four successive home fixtures in the UEFA Champions League, qualifying included, before beating Leipzig. That and the 3-1 third qualifying round win against Feyenoord in August 2014 are their only home victories in their last nine matches in this competition (D4 L3), again including qualifying – although they are unbeaten in their last six such fixtures in Istanbul.

• In 2016/17 Beşiktaş finished third in their group and moved into the UEFA Europa League, where they got as far as the quarter-finals before losing on penalties to Lyon.

• Before matchday three, all but one of Beşiktaş's eight games against Ligue 1 sides had ended in a home win. The sole exception was a 2-2 home draw with AJ Auxerre in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup second round first leg (2-4 on aggregate).

Monaco
• The French club faced Fenerbahçe SK in last season's third qualifying round, losing 2-1 in Turkey but winning 3-1 at home to start their memorable run to the semi-finals. Radamel Falcao scored in both legs.

• That left Monaco with the record W1 D1 L2 away to Turkish teams. Defeated on their last two trips, ASM's sole win was a 2-0 success at Galatasaray AŞ in the 1993/94 group stage. 

• Jardim's men – who claimed the French title in May – lost four of their eight away games in last season's competition, winning three and drawing the other.

• Monaco are in their eighth group stage campaign. Finalists in 2004, they got to the semis in 1994, 1998 and 2017.

• The principality outfit had another memorable European season in 2016/17, knocking out Manchester City FC and Borussia Dortmund en route to the last four. There they succumbed 4-1 on aggregate to Juventus (0-2 home, 1-2 away).

• Monaco have qualified from the UEFA Champions League group stage on their last four participations.

Coach and player links
• Jardim was in charge of SC Braga for their 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 32 elimination at the hands of Beşiktaş (0-2 home, 1-0 away).

• Talisca scored the only goal of SL Benfica's UEFA Champions League group stage win against Monaco in 2014/15.

• Álvaro Negredo scored Valencia CF's goal in a 2-1 defeat at Monaco in the 2015/16 play-offs, completing a 4-3 aggregate win for the Spanish side.

• Arda Turan hit Turkey's last-minute winner past Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio in the UEFA EURO 2008 group stage.

• Falcao struck away (3-1) and home (1-1) against Beşiktaş in Porto's victorious 2010/11 UEFA Europa League campaign, João Moutinho also playing both games. Falcao was also on target in Club Atlético de Madrid's 3-0 win at Beşiktaş in the 2011/12 round of 16 second leg, his side once again going on to lift the trophy.

• International team-mates:
Pepe, Ricardo Quaresma & João Moutinho (Portugal)
Gökhan Inler & Diego Benaglio (Switzerland)
Matej Mitrović & Danijel Subašić (Croatia)
Jeremain Lens & Terence Kongolo (Netherlands)

• Have played together:
Gary Medel & Stevan Jovetić (Internazionale Milano, 2015/16)
Pepe & Fabinho (Real Madrid CF, 2012/13)
Rony Lopes & Álvaro Negredo (Manchester City FC, 2013/14)

• Has played in France:
Duško Tošić (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, 2006/07)

Match facts

Beşiktaş

• Caner Erkin is a booking away from a ban.

• Beşiktaş are unbeaten in 32 home matches in the Turkish Super League, a run stretching back to November 2015.

• Şenol Güneş' side salvaged a point thanks to an added-time header from Duško Tošić in their 1-1 draw at home to Istanbul Başakşehir on 23 October.

• That draw meant Beşiktaş had failed to win in four consecutive league matches for the first time since Şenol Güneş became coach in June 2015.

• They ended that run by winning 2-1 at Alanyaspor on Saturday thanks to a late Álvaro Negredo strike, his first goal for his new club and the only time this season that a substitute has scored for Beşiktaş.

• Adriano (who turned 33 on Thursday) returned to the side on matchday three, having not featured since 18 September due to a calf injury. The Brazilian had to come off injured in the 82nd minute against Istanbul Başakşehir but played the full game on Saturday.

Monaco
• Djibril Sidibé is a booking away from a ban.

• Monaco ended a four-game winless run (D1 L3) by beating SM Caen 2-0 at home on 21 October, Keita Baldé opening the scoring with his first goal for the club.

• Falcao has 16 goals in 17 appearances for club and country this season (13 in 9 in the league).

• Falcao has scored two goals or more in a game on four occasions this term, most recently registering twice in the 4-0 success at LOSC Lille on 22 September.

• Falcao is on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. The winner will be announced on 6 December.

• Guido Carrillo (foot) and Ghezzal (thigh) have not featured since sitting out the matchday three contest against Beşiktaş. Jovetić returned from a thigh injury in the 82nd minute of Saturday's 2-0 win at FC Girondins de Bordeaux; Falcao sat out the game with a similar complaint.