Lyonnais vs Besiktas JK - Nabil Fekir confident Lyon can get job done in home leg against Besiktas

Posted Thursday, April 13, 2017 by PA

Nabil Fekir hopes Lyon can get the job done at home against Besiktas and so be able to enjoy the "incredible" atmosphere which will await them in the return leg in Istanbul.

The Ligue 1 side edged out Italian giants Roma 5-4 to book their place in the Europa League quarter-finals, but face a stern test to get past the Turkish club, who started their campaign in the Champions League.

Besiktas, who saw off Olympiacos in the last 16, are five points clear at the top of the Turkish top flight and have not been beaten at home in the Super Lig this season.

France international Fekir, though, feels Bruno Genesio's men have got what it takes to secure the required result, having beaten Roma 4-2 at home in the last round.

"They are coming here first, so it is down to us to do most of the job at home, then we can go there and give everything to try to secure qualification," Fekir said on uefa.com.

"Certainly there will be a good atmosphere at their place, it should be incredible, but we will see how it goes on the pitch."

Fekir believes the players can take strength from their performances in their previous European ties.

He said: "What we did was really impressive. We managed to eliminate a really good European side. However, it wasn't the final. It was good, but we can't stop there.

"We have two matches against Besiktas coming up. We need to go into them with the same mindset if we are to reproduce that level of performance."

Since coming through against Roma, Lyon have been in indifferent domestic form in Ligue 1.

Genesio's side have secured just one win from four matches and were beaten 4-1 at home by relegation battlers Lorient last time out which leaves them some 20 points off the pace.

Fekir said: "It will be very tough to win Ligue 1 now.

"We are out of the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France too, so that means the Europa League is our aim, along with finishing third in the league, and we are going to give everything to achieve that."

Besiktas come into Thursday's European tie full of confidence having beaten Trabzonspor 4-3 away with a last-minute goal from Atiba Hutchinson.

Manager Senol Gunes, though, must do without suspended striker Vincent Aboubakar while Portugal international Ricardo Quaresma is an injury doubt.

"We are up against a tough side, but we got here by overcoming difficulties," Gunes told uefa.com.

"Now we are going to face one of the favourites to win this tournament, should we get past them, our belief will increase, but we have to play the best football we can."