Beşiktaş vs Marseille – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday evening, Besiktas will kick off their Europa League league-phase journey at Tupras Stadyumu, hosting Marseille, with both teams eager to secure a strong start following summer changes in management.

The Black Eagles have had a promising start under Vincenzo Italiano, while Le Phoceens travel to Istanbul in search of solutions after suffering three consecutive losses in Ligue 1 since the beginning of Bruno Genesio’s tenure.

Match overview

Besiktas had a challenging European campaign last year, as their aspirations to reach the Europa League league phase were halted in the first qualifying round by Shakhtar Donetsk, and they also fell short of advancing to the Conference League main stage after being defeated by Lausanne-Sport.

That defeat marked a swift conclusion to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s spell at the helm, with Sergen Yalcin making a return for a second stint at the club, before departing after the 2025-26 season, having guided the team to fourth place and a chance to compete in the Europa League second qualifying round.

Italiano has now been tasked with the challenge of guiding Besiktas, and his team has achieved victory in nine out of their eleven competitive matches this season (L2), which included aggregate wins over Midtjylland, Hradec Kralove, and Kauno Zalgiris to earn their spot in the Europa League league phase.

The Black Eagles have also enjoyed a solid start in the domestic league, currently sitting in second place in the Super Lig standings after collecting 12 points from their first five league fixtures (L1), which included a 2-1 away win against Fenerbahce, followed by a 3-0 home triumph over Erzurumspor last weekend.

This recent victory extended Besiktas’s flawless home record in Istanbul to six consecutive wins, while maintaining five clean sheets during this span, and the hosts will enter Thursday’s matchup with confidence, aiming for an exceptional beginning as they pursue their first Europa League knockout stage qualification since 2016-17.

Marseille concluded last season in fifth position in Ligue 1, earning a return to the Europa League after spending the majority of the season in the Champions League, before experiencing a decline in their domestic form towards the end, compounded by significant changes in management.

Roberto De Zerbi left in February, followed briefly by Jacques Abardonado taking on the caretaker role, while Habib Beye led the team through the rest of the season before being succeeded by Genesio in the summer.

Genesio commenced his tenure with a dominant 4-0 victory over Strasbourg, but that commanding win has since been overshadowed by three straight defeats to Mônaco, Paris FC, and Rennes, with the latest setback being a 1-0 defeat against Rennes, which has left Marseille in 13th place early in the Ligue 1 table, narrowly above the relegation playoff zone.

Les Phoceens will hope that their return to European competition can alleviate some pressure from their disappointing domestic form, although historical trends are not favorable, with both sides winning their respective home fixtures during their previous two encounters in the 2007-08 Champions League group stage.

Marseille does have a commendable European record, having reached three UEFA Cup/Europa League finals and the semi-finals as recently as the 2023-24 season, while their last continental campaign featured participation in the Champions League league phase, where they narrowly missed out on progressing to the knockout stages.

Team News

Besiktas is anticipated to be without Ridvan Yilmaz, who is out due to a thigh injury, but the rest of the squad is reportedly in good shape as they prepare for their first league-phase match.

Dusan Vlahovic is expected to return to the starting XI after serving a suspension that kept him from participating in the recent win over Erzurumspor, having netted four goals in his previous two outings for the Black Eagles.

Leandro Trossard, a former Arsenal player, marked his first goal for the club in the previous match, scoring the second goal against Erzurumspor, and is likely to keep his position on the left wing in the attack.

Marseille are likely to miss Geoffrey Kondogbia and Tochukwu Nnadi, limiting Genesio’s options in central midfield ahead of their trip to Istanbul.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is poised to play a crucial role in assisting the visitors withstand Besiktas’s attacking pressure, while Amine Gouiri and Igor Paixao are expected to shoulder much of the offensive responsibility for the team.

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Nobel; Murillo, Agbadou, Topcu, Ouattara; Ozcan; Cerny, Olaitan, Kokcu, Trossard; Vlahovic

Marseille probable starting XI:

De Lange; Egan-Riley, Aguerd, Emerson; Weah, Hojbjerg, Abdelli, Gomes; Harit, Gouiri, Paixao

Despite the disappointing European run from last season, Besiktas’s strong start under Italiano gives them a notable chance to begin the league phase with a win.

Marseille has an extensive European history, but the string of three defeats and a rough opening under Genesio could make them susceptible, especially against a Besiktas team that has emerged victorious in every home competition this season, suggesting a home win is quite likely.