Beşiktaş vs. Kaunas Žalgiris – News and Probable Lineups

Besiktas will take on Kauno Zalgiris at Tupras Stadyumu on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff round, aiming for a spot in this year’s league phase, with the second leg scheduled for August 27 in Kaunas.

This will be the inaugural clash between these two teams in European competition, with the Turkish side considered heavy favourites against a Lithuanian championship team that fell into the Europa League after a significant defeat in Champions League qualifying.

Match overview

Besiktas secured their place in the playoff round with a solid 1-0 win over Hradec Kralove, thanks to Vaclav Cerny’s goal that ensured a 2-0 aggregate victory and stretched the Black Eagles’ streak to four consecutive clean sheets in European qualifiers.

Vincenzo Italiano’s team has also made a positive start to their domestic season, kicking off the Super Lig with a narrow 1-0 victory against Eyupspor after finishing third in the previous campaign.

Defensive solidity has been a hallmark of Italiano’s early days as head coach, and he has substantially enhanced his squad over the summer, with arrivals including Alexander Nubel, Kassoum Ouattara, Leandro Trossard, and Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, part of an ambitious recruitment strategy.

With the advantage of playing at Tupras Stadyumu and the superior individual talent across the team, Besiktas is likely to feel confident about establishing a strong lead before the return match in Lithuania next week.

Kauno Zalgiris, in contrast, arrives in Istanbul following a harsh lesson during the Champions League qualifiers, having been comprehensively defeated 7-1 on aggregate by Dinamo Zagreb, including a 5-0 loss in Croatia and another 2-1 defeat at home.

Despite this, Zeljko Sopic’s side managed to respond with a 2-0 victory over Hegelmann in between the two Champions League fixtures, and they drew 1-1 with Transinvest in their latest encounter, leaving Kauno Zalgiris second in the A Lyga, just one point behind the leaders.

Their journey to the Europa League playoff round included wins over Drita and KI Klaksvik during Champions League qualifying, but the gap in quality against Dinamo Zagreb was glaringly evident across both matches.

Sopic will therefore be urging his players to display a more disciplined defending performance in Istanbul, as Zalgiris must avoid errors that were detrimental against Dinamo to thwart another potential heavy loss against a Besiktas team equipped with far superior attacking capabilities.

Team News

Besiktas does not have any new injury issues following their win against Eyupspor, and Italiano is expected to offer competitive debuts to several of his summer signings as he integrates the newcomers into the squad.

Ouattara is back in contention after serving his suspension related to his red card received in the first leg against Hradec Kralove.

Emmanuel Agbadou and Tiago Djalo are anticipated to continue in central defense, while Salih Ozcan seems to have taken precedence over Wilfred Ndidi in the defensive midfield role.

Thus, Italiano has the necessary players to maintain the compact and organized structure that has helped Besiktas achieve four consecutive clean sheets in Europe.

Kauno Zalgiris has no significant fitness problems either, though Sopic might refresh his defensive lineup following the issues encountered against Dinamo Zagreb.

Amine Benchaib has emerged as one of their standout players this season and is likely to retain his place on the wing, with Renan Oliveira expected to spearhead the attack.

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Nobel; Blut, Djalo, Agbadou, Yilmaz; Ozcan; Cerny, Olaitan, Kokcu, Trossard; Fear

Kauno Zalgiris probable starting XI:

Svedkauskas; Kastrati, Tolordava, Hernandez, Edokpolor; Karashima, Silvka; Burba, Krekovic, Benchaib; Oliveira

Thanks to their superior individual talent, home advantage, and defensive credentials, Besiktas goes into the first leg as overwhelming favourites.

Kauno Zalgiris has shown against Dinamo Zagreb that they can struggle when matched against teams with superior technical ability, and Italiano’s squad should possess sufficient attacking prowess to take advantage of these vulnerabilities.

It is anticipated that Besiktas will dictate the rhythm of the game from the start and secure a decisive advantage.