Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş will renew one of Turkish football’s fiercest rivalries Tuesday night when they collide in the opening match of the Ziraat Turkish Cup C Group, with both sides eager to make an early statement in a competition that carries history, pressure and little margin for error.
The derby kicks off at 8:30 p.m. local time at Chobani Stadium, marking the first group-stage test for two clubs that enter the cup directly at this phase under the revamped format.
A derby shaped by form, belief and unfinished business
While cup openers are often approached cautiously, this one arrives heavy with context.
Fenerbahçe step into the night carrying momentum built over months, while Beşiktaş arrive driven by the need to redefine their season against elite opposition.
The Yellow Canaries closed the first half of the Süper Lig unbeaten, a consistency that has translated across competitions.
Under Domenico Tedesco, Fenerbahçe have not lost in their last 16 official matches – a stretch that includes 11 wins and five draws – turning them into one of the most stable and mentally resilient teams in Türkiye.
Beşiktaş’s path has been less linear but no less revealing.
Since their dramatic 3-2 collapse against Fenerbahçe in the league, the black-and-whites have rebuilt quietly, stringing together six unbeaten matches.
Yet that run has also exposed a lingering issue: closing games against top-tier rivals.
The league derby earlier this season remains a reference point for both sides.
Beşiktaş surged into a 2-0 lead at home, only to unravel after a red card, allowing Fenerbahçe to flip the match and escape with a 3-2 win.
For Fenerbahçe, it reinforced a defining trait of this campaign – composure under stress.
For Beşiktaş, it added another entry to a growing list of matches in which leads against elite opponents slipped away.
They also dropped points from winning positions against Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, leaving the sense that progress has not yet translated into authority.
Beyond the unbeaten run, Fenerbahçe’s numbers underline their form.
They have conceded just once in their last four Europa League matches and have kept clean sheets in their last three games overall, dismantling Brann, Konyaspor and Eyüpspor by a combined score of 11-0.
The backbone of that run has been defensive balance rather than relentless pressing.
Fenerbahçe have been patient in buildup, ruthless when momentum swings, and increasingly comfortable absorbing pressure – a trait that often defines successful cup teams.
They have also delivered in big domestic moments, collecting seven points from league matches against Trabzonspor, Beşiktaş and Galatasaray.
That return has helped keep them firmly in the title conversation and adds weight to their status as cup favorites.
Yet Tuesday’s derby will also test Fenerbahçe’s squad depth as much as their form. Nine players are unavailable, leaving Tedesco to improvise across multiple lines.
Fred is suspended, Youssef En-Nesyri and Dorgeles Nene are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while injuries have sidelined Edson Alvarez, Anderson Talisca, Nelson Semedo and Archie Brown.
Ederson and Jhon Duran are absent with special permission.
Those absences force a reshuffle that could hand rare opportunities to younger players.
Goalkeeper Tarık Çetin is expected to start, while Yiğit Efe Demir, Haydar Karataş and Bartuğ Elmaz are all in line for their first Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby appearance if selected – a reminder that cup nights often accelerate careers.
Beşiktaş arrive with fewer absences but similar uncertainty.
Injuries rule out Cengiz Ünder, Jota Silva and Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu, while Wilfred Ndidi and El Bilal Touré remain on international duty.
Rafa Silva, recently included in the squad again, is not expected to feature heavily.
What Beşiktaş bring is the momentum of a quieter kind.
Since early November, they have steadied defensively and avoided defeat, taking wins against Antalyaspor, Fatih Karagümrük and Rizespor, while drawing against Samsunspor, Gaziantep FK and Trabzonspor.
Still, the defining victory against a top rival has yet to arrive – and the cup provides a clean slate.
Tuesday may also mark a symbolic transition for Beşiktaş.
Six players could make their first appearance in a Fenerbahçe derby, including Tiago Djalo, David Jurasek and Taylan Bulut, along with academy graduates Demir Ege Tıknaz, Kartal Kayra Yılmaz and Devrim Şahin.
For head coach Sergen Yalçın, the challenge is blending youthful energy with derby discipline – a balance that often decides cup ties before tactics do.
This will be the 363rd meeting between the clubs in all competitions and their 23rd clash in the Turkish Cup.
Beşiktaş hold the edge in cup history, with 11 wins to Fenerbahçe’s five, and they have triumphed in all three cup finals contested between the rivals.
Overall, Fenerbahçe lead the all-time series narrowly, 136 wins to 129, with 97 draws – a statistical reflection of a rivalry defined by thin margins.
Recent league history offers no clear favorite either: the last 10 Süper Lig derbies have produced three wins apiece and four draws, with both sides recently claiming victories on rival turf.
With Beyoğlu Yeni Çarşı, Erzurumspor FK and Gaziantep FK also in Group C, three points on opening night would offer early control and reduce room for error later.
