Besiktas will kick off their Europa League group stage campaign at Tupras Stadyumu on Thursday night as they face Marseille. Both teams are eager for a strong beginning following managerial changes over the summer. Under the guidance of Vincenzo Italiano, Besiktas has made a promising start, while Marseille, led by Bruno Genesio, arrives in Istanbul seeking solutions after suffering three consecutive losses in Ligue 1. Last season, Besiktas faced challenges in European competitions, failing to advance past the first qualifying round of the Europa League against Shakhtar Donetsk. They also missed out on the Conference League group stage after a defeat to Lausanne-Sport. That loss marked the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the club, leading to Sergen Yalcin's return for a second stint. Yalcin helped the team secure a fourth-place finish and a spot in the Europa League second qualifying round before departing at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Now, Italiano has taken the helm of Besiktas, and the team has enjoyed success this season, winning nine out of 11 competitive matches (L2). They secured their place in the Europa League group stage with aggregate victories over Midtjylland, Hradec Kralove, and Kauno Zalgiris. Domestically, Besiktas has also started strong, currently sitting second in the Super Lig with 12 points from their first five matches (L1). This includes a notable 2-1 away win against Fenerbahce and a commanding 3-0 victory at home against Erzurumspor over the weekend. The recent win extended Besiktas's impressive run at home to six consecutive victories, with five of those matches resulting in clean sheets. The Black Eagles will head into Thursday's match with confidence, aiming for a strong start and a return to the Europa League knockout stages for the first time since the 2016-17 season.