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Besiktas is set to face Swiss side Lausanne in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off round Thursday, as the Istanbul-based club aims to continue its European campaign successfully.
The match will be held at La Tuiliere Stadium in Lausanne, kicking off at 9:15 p.m. (GMT+3).
Norwegian referee Sigurd Kringstad will officiate the encounter, assisted by Runar Langseth and Ole Andreas Haukasen.
Besiktas coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that the squad is ready for the challenge, with new signings Wilfred Ndidi and Taylan Bulut included in the UEFA list.
Ernest Muci, who was forced to withdraw from last week’s league match against Eyupsor due to an injury during warm-up, is doubtful.
Defender Mustafa Hekimoglu is ruled out due to injury, while David Jurasek’s status will be confirmed before the match.
The squad traveling to Switzerland includes Mert Gunok, Ersin Destanoglu, Emre Bilgin, Emir Yasar, Jonas Svensson, Gabriel Paulista, Felix Uduokhai, Necip Uysal, Taylan Bulut, Tayyip Talha Sanuc, David Jurasek, Emirhan Topcu, and Serkan Emrecan Terzi, among others.
Besiktas departed for Switzerland at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday from Sabiha Gokcen Airport via a chartered flight.
Probable starting XI in 4-2-3-1 formation:
Besiktas has won its last three official matches across European and domestic competitions, bouncing back after two consecutive losses to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Europa League.
The team also defeated St. Patrick’s in both legs of the Conference League third qualifying round and secured a league win against Eyupspor.
Lausanne began their European journey in the second round of the Conference League. They overcame North Macedonia’s Vardar and Kazakhstan’s Astana to reach the playoff round, setting up the clash with Besiktas.
Thursday's fixture marks Besiktas’ 257th European match. The club has won 97, drawn 49, and lost 110 matches in European competitions, scoring 347 goals and conceding 393.
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Champion Clubs’ Cup & UEFA Champions League | 89 | 27 | 19 | 43 | 89 | 153 |
| UEFA Cup & UEFA Europa League | 133 | 57 | 25 | 51 | 209 | 180 |
| Cup Winners’ Cup | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 38 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 22 |
| TOTAL | 256 | 97 | 49 | 110 | 347 | 393 |
Besiktas will play its 15th match in the Conference League on Thursday, holding a record of 9 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. This will also be the club’s seventh encounter with a Swiss side in European competitions.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer emphasized the importance of imposing their style on Lausanne: "We are ready for Thursday. Lausanne is strong and well-organized, but we want to play our football and make them adapt to us. We have analyzed their strengths and are confident in our approach."
He added that the synthetic turf at La Tuiliere Stadium would require some tactical adjustments: "We will play slightly differently, faster, to adapt to the surface. Our technical players are aware of this, and we are prepared."
New signing Wilfred Ndidi expressed confidence ahead of the game:
"We are ready and excited. I am fully fit and believe we can deliver a strong performance. My adaptation to the team is going well, and I am happy to be part of Besiktas."
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