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Besiktas will open its league-phase campaign in the UEFA Europa League against French side Olympique Marseille at Tupras Stadium in Istanbul today, with kick-off set for 10:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT).
Italian referee Andrea Colombo will oversee the match.
The Istanbul club, coached by Italian manager Vincenzo Italiano, came through all three qualifying rounds to secure a place among the 36 teams competing in the Europa League first phase.
Today's match will be Besiktas' 265th appearance in European competition, with the Black and Whites having recorded 102 wins, 50 draws and 112 defeats in their previous 264 matches.
The Europa League, previously known as the UEFA Cup, has been the competition in which Besiktas has played and won the most European matches. The team has made 139 appearances in the tournament, picking up 62 wins, 25 draws and 52 defeats.
Its deepest runs came in 2003 and 2017, when it reached the quarterfinals. In the latter campaign, Besiktas faced Bruno Genesio's Lyon and took the tie to penalties before going out 7-6 in the shootout.
Italiano also brings significant recent European experience, having led Fiorentina to back-to-back UEFA Conference League finals in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Marseille arrives in Istanbul after three consecutive league defeats, although coach Bruno Genesio said his players had continued to show positive signs despite the results.
Genesio said Marseille had closely analyzed Besiktas and pointed to the Turkish club's strength in midfield, attack and defense, as well as the influence of their supporters.
"We will play against Besiktas, one of the best teams in this tournament. I can say that clearly," Genesio said.
The French coach is already familiar with the atmosphere at Besiktas' home ground after visiting Istanbul with Lyon in 2017.
"I experienced the atmosphere in this stadium in 2017, but my ears also hurt for two or three days. There was a difficult atmosphere here. I can say it was one of the best atmospheres I have seen in Europe."
Genesio added that Marseille had been creating chances despite its recent struggles but had failed to make enough of them, while opponents had punished its mistakes. He also pointed out that Marseille had been unable to make transfers this season and said the club first needed to get its finances back on the right path.
Marseille defender Timothy Weah also highlighted similarities between the supporters of Marseille and Besiktas, describing both clubs as having comparable atmospheres.
The U.S. international will also come up against Besiktas striker Dusan Vlahovic, his former Juventus teammate.
"Dusan and I have a very good relationship. Our houses were also very close in Italy. He is a player with a very high football level. His finishing in front of goal is incredible. He is a very good striker. Now we will face each other. I will try to defend him in the best possible way," Weah said.
Despite Marseille's difficult run, Weah said the squad remained united and ready to move on from its recent league results as it starts a new European campaign.
Besiktas: Alexander Nubel, Amir Murillo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Emir Han Topcu, Ridvan Yilmaz, Salih Ozcan, Junior Olaitan Ishola, Vaclav Cerny, Orkun Kokcu, Ilhan Fakili, Dusan Vlahovic.
Olympique Marseille: Jeffrey de Lange, Timothy Weah, CJ Egan-Riley, Nayef Aguerd, Emerson, Himad Abdelli, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Angel Gomes, Igor Paixao, Amine Harit, Amine Gouiri.
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