Süper Lig powerhouse Fenerbahçe kick off their third-round Champions League quest under Jose Mourinho with a pivotal first-leg clash at Lille on Tuesday.
The clash at Stade du Hainaut marks a pivotal moment in the Turkish giants' quest.
Both teams, fresh with new leadership this season, will battle for a coveted spot in the playoff round, with a place in the lucrative group stage hanging in the balance.
By securing France's final Champions League spot last season, former Lille manager Paulo Fonseca left a valuable legacy, now in the hands of new head coach Bruno Genesio.
Following Fonseca's move to AC Milan, Lille appointed Genesio, the former Lyon and Rennes boss, to lead the team’s Champions League bid.
Entering the third-round stage, Lille are just two wins away from reaching the revamped group phase.
They have prepared with a series of summer friendlies, including two wins and two draws before a recent 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo.
Lille, unbeaten in five Europa Conference League matches at Stade Pierre-Mauroy last season, now face a crucial test in its first competitive fixture of the season against formidable opponents.
Due to the Olympics, Tuesday’s first leg will be held in Valenciennes rather than at Lille's usual home ground.
After failing to defeat Lille across two encounters in the 2010-11 Europa League, Fenerbahçe return to France with a determined focus on setting up a favorable position for the return leg in Istanbul next week.
Finishing as Süper Lig runners-up last season fell short of the club’s ambitions, prompting Fenerbahçe to bring Mourinho to Istanbul to secure silverware.
Mourinho is eager to lead his new team into the Champions League group stage and reclaim the Turkish title from city rivals Galatasaray, who edged out Fenerbahçe despite the latter’s impressive 99-point haul and only one defeat.
Like Lille, Fenerbahçe also fell in last season's Conference League quarterfinals, losing to eventual champions Olympiacos.
However, their current European campaign has begun with a bang.
In their opening Champions League qualifier, Mourinho's side defeated Swiss team Lugano 6-4 on aggregate, including a thrilling 4-3 away win in the first leg, highlighted by an Edin Dzeko hat trick, followed by a 2-1 victory at home.
Despite summer transfer rumors, Canadian striker Jonathan David remains with Lille and could start on Tuesday evening after appearing as a substitute in its recent match against Celta Vigo.
Mohamed Bayo recently returned from a loan spell at Le Havre, is another option to lead Lille's attack, having scored in the club’s final pre-season friendly.
With star center back Leny Yoro and top scorer Yusuf Yazıcı departing, Lille has welcomed Thomas Meunier, who joins from Trabzonspor and is expected to start at right back.
Fenerbahçe’s front line is spearheaded by the experienced Edin Dzeko, who has already netted four goals in two Champions League qualifiers this season.
To strengthen his squad, Mourinho has signed Allan Saint-Maximin on loan, alongside Caglar Söyüncü, Rade Krunic and former Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
Söyüncü will anchor the defense, Krunic will partner Fred and Sebastian Szymanski in midfield, while veteran playmaker Dusan Tadic will supply Dzeko with crucial service.
