Trabzonspor will look to extend their winning streak to five matches when they host Scottish side Hearts in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, aiming to build on an impressive start to the league phase and strengthen their position in the competition.
The matchday two fixture will kick off at 7:45 p.m. local time at Papara Park.
Trabzonspor opened their European campaign with a 4-2 away victory over Finland's KuPS Kuopio and will seek another three points in front of their home supporters.
Hearts, meanwhile, are looking to respond after surrendering a first-half lead in a 1-1 draw with Danish side Nordsjaelland in their opening match.
The Scottish visitors arrive in Türkiye following a heavy 7-1 defeat to Celtic, leaving them eager to restore their confidence against a Trabzonspor side that has found its scoring touch under new manager Thomas Reis.
Trabzonspor's recent revival marks a sharp turnaround from a difficult opening to the 2026-27 season.
The Black Sea club struggled for consistency in their first seven competitive matches, recording just two victories before a series of disappointing results exposed their defensive weaknesses.
Their European campaign initially took a hit in the Europa League qualifying rounds, where they suffered a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Ferencvaros, including a 4-0 loss in the second leg. A subsequent 2-1 defeat to Amed Sportif Faaliyetler in the Turkish Süper Lig led to the departure of coach Fatih Tekke.
Hüseyin Çimşir took charge on an interim basis, recording one victory and one defeat before Reis was appointed permanently.
The new coach has since won all four of his competitive matches, overseeing a dramatic improvement in both attack and defense.
Trabzonspor have scored 13 goals and conceded only twice during that run, highlighted by a commanding 4-0 victory over Galatasaray and their 4-2 win against KuPS in the Conference League opener.
The Turkish side will look to maintain that momentum against Hearts, with Mohamed Salah emerging as a key attacking threat.
The winger has scored nine goals in 11 appearances since arriving in Türkiye, providing a consistent source of goals as Trabzonspor seek to make their mark in Europe.
However, Trabzonspor face several injury concerns. Arseniy Batagov, Paul Onuachu and young goalkeeper Onuralp Çevikkan are among those sidelined, while Okay Yokuşlu and Ruslan Malinovskyi are also unavailable.
Fabinho is expected to retain his place in midfield alongside Ozan Tufan, while Chibuike Nwaiwu and Stefan Savic could form the central defensive partnership.
Hearts travel to Trabzonspor under pressure to recover from one of their most damaging results of the season, having conceded seven goals in a 7-1 defeat to Celtic at the weekend.
The Edinburgh club had shown greater defensive stability in the preceding matches, conceding just four goals across five games before their collapse against the Scottish champions. The defeat exposed significant problems at the back and left manager Wouter Vrancken with decisions to make ahead of the trip to Türkiye.
Despite that setback, Hearts had been building a respectable run of results after losing their first four matches of the season. Their record over the subsequent 14 games stood at seven wins, five draws and two defeats, suggesting the Celtic loss was a significant departure from their recent form.
Hearts also showed promise in their Conference League opener against Nordsjaelland. They took a 1-0 lead after a dominant first half but failed to maintain control, eventually conceding a late equalizer to Nicklas Rojkjaer.
The Scottish side will now seek their first victory in the league phase while attempting to end a three-match winless run away from home.
Injuries remain a concern for Vrancken, with Blair Spittal, Ageu, Tom Renaud and Craig Halkett unavailable. Following the heavy loss to Celtic, the coach could make several changes to his starting lineup, potentially giving Stuart Findlay, James Wilson and Tomas Magnusson opportunities to feature.
Thursday's encounter will be Trabzonspor's 159th match in European competition and their 10th in the Conference League.
The Turkish club have recorded 57 wins, 39 draws and 62 defeats in their first 158 European matches, scoring 198 goals and conceding 216 since making their continental debut in the 1976-77 season.
Their European history includes 30 matches in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League, 99 in the UEFA Cup and Europa League, 12 in the Cup Winners' Cup, eight in the Intertoto Cup and nine in the Conference League.
Trabzonspor have won two, drawn four and lost three of their nine Conference League matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding 14. A victory over Hearts would give them an opportunity to improve that record while strengthening their position in the league phase.
The fixture also marks Trabzonspor's first meeting with Scottish opposition in 29 years. Their previous encounter came against Dundee United in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup, when they won the first leg 1-0 and drew the return match 1-1 to advance.
Trabzonspor's continental history includes memorable victories over some of Europe's biggest clubs.
They defeated Liverpool 1-0 during the 1976-77 season, beat Inter Milan by the same score in 1983-84 and overcame Barcelona 1-0 in 1990-91, with all three victories coming at Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium.
The club repeated their success against Inter on the road on Sept. 14, 2011, winning 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Trabzonspor's biggest European victory came in the 2007-08 Intertoto Cup, when they thrashed Albania's Vllaznia 6-0 at home.
Their heaviest defeat, however, came against Barcelona in the 1990-91 Cup Winners' Cup. After winning the first leg 1-0, Trabzonspor lost the return match 7-2 away from home.
