Beşiktaş will look to maintain their perfect start to the UEFA Europa League when they host Crystal Palace at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday, with the Turkish side hoping to turn their home dominance into another European victory.
Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Türkiye time.
Beşiktaş have won their opening two league-phase matches, defeating Olympique de Marseille 4-1 at home before edging Hoffenheim 3-2 away last week. Another victory would strengthen their position among the leading teams in the 36-team standings and extend their impressive European run.
The Black Eagles have scored seven goals in their first two matches, making them one of the competition's most prolific sides at this stage. Their attacking form has helped establish them as early contenders, although their most recent domestic outing offered a reminder that maintaining consistency across competitions remains a challenge.
Vincenzo Italiano's side suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Trabzonspor in the Turkish Süper Lig last weekend, ending their winning run across competitions. The result left Beşiktaş fifth in the domestic standings after eight matches, four points behind leaders Galatasaray.
Thursday's return to Dolmabahçe offers an opportunity to respond immediately, particularly given their outstanding record in front of their own supporters.
Beşiktaş have won all eight of their home matches this season across the Süper Lig and European competitions, establishing Tüpraş Stadium as a formidable venue for visiting teams.
Their domestic victories include a 1-0 win over Eyüpspor, a 6-2 triumph against Arca Çorum FK, a 3-0 victory over Erzurumspor FK and a 2-1 result against Kocaelispor.
In Europe, they have beaten Midtjylland 1-0, Hradec Kralove 1-0, Kauno Zalgiris 3-0 and Marseille 4-1 at home. Across those eight matches, Beşiktaş have scored 21 goals and conceded just four.
Their European form has been equally encouraging away from Istanbul. Beşiktaş progressed through the qualifying rounds by eliminating Midtjylland and Hradec Králové before overcoming Kauno Zalgiris in the playoffs. They won seven of their eight European matches, including qualifiers, before Thursday's encounter.
The Turkish side have also won their last four European home matches and could reach five consecutive home victories in UEFA competition for the first time with a win over Palace.
Beşiktaş have started the main phase of a UEFA competition with two victories on only three previous occasions, in the 1986-87 European Cup, the 2010-11 Europa League and the 2017-18 Champions League. Their current campaign gives them another opportunity to build on that record.
South Korean forward Oh Hyeon-gyu was instrumental in last week's victory over Hoffenheim, scoring twice late in the game to secure all three points after an eventful second half.
Beşiktaş captain Orkun Kökçü will miss the Palace match as he continues to recover from a foot injury sustained during the Europa League victory over Hoffenheim.
The midfielder also missed Sunday's defeat to Trabzonspor and is targeting a return next month, leaving Italiano without one of his key midfield options for the European fixture.
Winger Milot Rashica is another absentee. He is sidelined with a hamstring injury and has been left out of Beşiktaş's Europa League squad.
Serbian striker Dušan Vlahovic, meanwhile, is competing with Oh for a starting place in attack. Vlahovic has scored six goals in as many Süper Lig appearances but missed the Hoffenheim match through illness and has yet to score in the Europa League this season.
Beşiktaş will need their attacking options to maintain their scoring form against a Palace side that has struggled defensively in recent weeks.
Crystal Palace travel to Istanbul seeking to halt a run of defeats after a difficult start to their domestic and European campaigns.
The reigning UEFA Conference League champions began their Europa League campaign with a commanding 4-0 home victory over Lech Poznan, but their momentum has since stalled. They lost 3-2 away to Lyon last week despite second-half goals from Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada.
Their European setback was followed by a damaging 5-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday. Palace conceded three goals in the opening 10 minutes, suffering one of the heaviest defeats in their history against their south-coast rivals.
Manager Pierre Sage described his reaction to the Brighton loss as one of shame, highlighting the disappointment surrounding the team's performance.
Palace have won only two of their first seven Premier League matches, drawing one and losing four. They sit 14th in the table with seven points, while their 17 goals conceded represent the highest total in the division at this stage.
The London club will also be looking to improve their away form. They have won only two of their last 11 matches on the road across all competitions, drawing three and losing six. They have conceded at least twice in nine of those fixtures.
Their challenge against Beşiktaş will therefore test both their defensive organization and their ability to respond after consecutive defeats.
Palace could make changes to their backline as they attempt to address the defensive problems exposed against Brighton and Lyon.
Chadi Riad remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury, while goalkeeper Dean Henderson, defender Ben Chilwell and fullback Takehiro Tomiyasu are due to have their respective foot, knee and calf injuries assessed after missing the Brighton match.
Axel Disasi is available again after serving a domestic suspension and could return to the starting lineup. He is an option to join Jaydee Canvot and Chris Richards in a three-man defense.
Oscar Mingueza is also pushing for a place at right wing-back, potentially replacing Anan Khalaili.
Further forward, Pino could feature alongside Ismaïla Sarr and Jorgen Strand Larsen as Palace seek a response in attack. Pino and Kamada helped make the Lyon match competitive after the break, but their efforts were not enough to prevent defeat.
Former Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and defender Emmanuel Agbadou are among Beşiktaş's other potential options as Italiano considers his lineup.
