FC Midtjylland will host Besiktas at MCH Arena on Thursday, aiming to overcome a one-goal deficit to keep their Europa League aspirations alive. The Danish team lost 1-0 in the first leg held in Istanbul, marking the inaugural competitive encounter between the two sides. Midtjylland faced additional challenges in the first leg when Friday Etim was shown a red card in the 15th minute, putting the Wolves under considerable pressure for the remainder of the match. Goalkeeper Elias Olafsson made several crucial saves, ensuring that the scoreline remained close. Despite facing six shots during the game, Olafsson could not stop Orkun Kokcu's curling shot that found the net in the 26th minute. This narrow loss was a stark contrast to Midtjylland's impressive pre-season, where they went unbeaten in five friendlies, winning four, including a dominant 6-0 win against Cardiff City and a 4-1 triumph over Odense. Fortunately for Midtjylland, they rebounded from this setback in their domestic opener, securing a 3-2 win against Sonderjyske and starting their Superliga season positively after finishing as runners-up last year. Coach Mike Tullberg's squad also brings valuable experience from their previous Europa League campaign, where they reached the knockout stages but were eliminated by Nottingham Forest in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 2-1 home defeat in the second leg. On the other hand, Besiktas aims to build on their first-leg victory, as their last European campaign ended in the league phase of the 2024-25 Europa League. The Turkish club only needs to avoid defeat in this return leg to edge closer to the main competition.