Besiktas: The view from the opposition

Besiktas are currently top of the Turkish Super Lig, one point ahead of Fenerbahce in second place and two points clear of Galatasaray, who currently occupy third position.

The Istanbul side, managed by Slaven Bilic, progressed to this round of the competition by finishing top of Group C, which also included Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur.

They will be looking to avenge the 8-0 defeat they sustained upon their last visit to Anfield in 2007 - and so to gain more of an insight into the club's current form, we spoke to someone who knows Besiktas inside out...

What was your reaction when the draw was made and out came Liverpool?

Liverpool are tough opponents, of course. It could have been a much better draw for us, but this is not the first time this season we've been handed a tough draw. We were paired with Arsenal for our Champions League qualifier and then Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League group stage. So the reaction is this - if we can get past Liverpool, then we believe we have what it takes to win the cup.

What is the feeling around the club and amongst the fans ahead of the trip to Anfield?

We all have belief. As I said, we've played two Premier League teams this season. We played four matches and they were all good performances from our side. We won one, lost one and drew two of them. But we are aware of Liverpool's improved form, specifically since the second half of the season. It will be more difficult to face them now.

The last time the two sides met at Anfield, Liverpool won the game by a large scoreline. Will that game be in the minds of the Besiktas fans when they watch the match tonight?

It will be on the fans' minds and it may be on the minds of some of the club officials. But that will not be the case for the coaches or the players. The squad is new. Only right-back Serdar Kurtulus remains from that squad. I was there, too, and it was one of those bad days. Everything we did came out wrong; we lost tactical discipline and so on. The team was not too experienced, yet surprisingly, the same squad defeated Liverpool at home a fortnight previously, with a dominant and controlled performance. 

We know all about Slaven Bilic the player from his spell at Everton, but can you tell us more about Bilic the manager? What is he like as a coach?

Slaven, as a coach, is very clever and has a lot of experience of coaching big players at national team level. His preparation is good and he has a fantastic strategy, and he fits well with the culture of our club. Slaven is from the Balkans and adopted easily. He passes his emotions on to the players, and they all like him and his staff very much. Above all he is fair - and a true gentleman. He's also finds it easy to communicate with our foreign players as he speaks good English.

How do you asses Liverpool's form so far this season and who do you feel is the one Liverpool player that Besiktas will need to keep an eye on?

I mentioned it earlier, but during the second half of the season, Liverpool are reaching top form. Daniel Sturridge is back now, Jordan Henderson is the key player in the midfield, and if he plays, Jordon Ibe is in good form - and that's why he is back from his loan spell at Derby County. Mario Balotelli is always a big name and a threat.

Similarly, who is the one Besiktas player Liverpool fans should be most wary of during tonight's match - and why can that player be such a threat?

As I have to choose just one player, I'll say No.7, Gokhan Tore. He has amazing skills and stamina, he has a great future ahead of him after he moved from big teams at a very young age. He switched from Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea to Hamburg to Rubin Kazan and finally to Besiktas. He is currently 23.