Beşiktaş host French side Olympique de Marseille Thursday to open their UEFA Europa League campaign, looking to extend a flawless home record and welcome back star striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The Black Eagles enter the newly structured league phase on strong footing under manager Vincenzo Italiano, boasting a fully healthy squad with no reported injuries.
Central to Italiano’s attacking setup is Vlahovic, who returns to the lineup after serving a one-match domestic suspension in the Süper Lig following a disciplinary sanction stemming from the derby victory over Fenerbahçe.
The 26-year-old Serbian international missed Beşiktaş's recent domestic fixture against Erzurumspor, but he has been in clinical form this season, scoring four goals across five appearances in all competitions.
The Istanbul powerhouse earned their place in the Europa League's main stage through a grueling qualifying path, successfully navigating three rounds.
Beşiktaş initiated their European campaign in the second qualifying round with 1-0 and 2-0 victories over Danish side Midtjylland before eliminating Czech club Hradec Kralove with consecutive 1-0 wins in the third round.
In the play-off round, Beşiktaş secured a 3-0 home victory against Lithuanian club Kauno Zalgiris before dropping the return leg 1-0 away, advancing comfortably on aggregate.
Across six European qualifying fixtures this season, Beşiktaş compiled a 5-1-0 record, conceding just a single goal while scoring eight. Marseille, by contrast, qualified directly for the competition's league phase.
Dominance on home soil has been the defining feature of Beşiktaş's season thus far. The Istanbul club have won all six of their home fixtures across the Süper Lig and European play at Tüpraş Stadium, traditionally known to supporters as Dolmabahçe
In addition to their three European victories, Beşiktaş have registered domestic wins at home against Eyüpspor (1-0), Çorum FK (6-2), and Erzurumspor (3-0), outscoring opponents by a combined 15-2 margin on home turf.
Beşiktaş also carry strong overall momentum into Thursday's match on the heels of a three-game winning streak. After suffering consecutive 1-0 setbacks against Alanyaspor in domestic play and Kauno Zalgiris in the second leg of the play-offs, Italiano's squad rebounded with victories over Çorum FK, Fenerbahçe, and Erzurumspor.
Italiano has submitted a deep squad to UEFA for the campaign, anchored in goal by Alexander Nübel alongside Doğan Alemdar and Mehmet Tuğra Yeşilyurt. The defensive unit features Emmanuel Agbadou, Tiago Djalo, Rıdvan Yılmaz, Kassoum Ouattara, Taylan Bulut and Amir Murillo.
In midfield, Beşiktaş possess extensive depth with Wilfred Ndidi, Orkun Kökçü, Leandro Trossard, Vaclav Cerny, Fabio Miretti, Salih Özcan, and Junior Olaitan. Upfront, Vlahovic leads an attacking group that includes South Korean forward Hyeon-gyu Oh, Ernest Poku, and Turkish international Semih Kılıçsoy.
The opening-round fixture at Tüpraş Stadium is scheduled for a 10 p.m. local kickoff, with Italian official Andrea Colombo appointed to referee the match.
