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Besiktas will host Lausanne at Tupras Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday evening in the decisive second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time, with Danish referee Jakob Kehlet in charge, supported by assistants Lars Hummelgaard and Martin Markus.
The first leg in Switzerland ended 1-1, with Milot Rashica putting Besiktas ahead before Brayan Okoh equalized in the 83rd minute.
The result left the tie wide open, meaning a victory in Istanbul would take Besiktas into the group stage, while a defeat would end their European campaign for the season.
Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure to break an unwanted record.
The Norwegian has never beaten a Swiss opponent during his managerial career. With Molde, Manchester United, and now Besiktas, he has faced Swiss clubs four times, suffering two defeats and drawing twice.
His most recent was last week’s stalemate with Lausanne. Thursday’s fixture offers him the chance to finally claim a win against a Swiss side.
Defensive fragility has been a recurring issue this season.
Besiktas have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their six competitive matches across the Super Lig and European qualifiers.
The team has scored 12 goals but conceded 11, showing both attacking promise and defensive inconsistency.
Besiktas’ results so far this season:
| Competition | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA Europa League | Besiktas – Shakhtar Donetsk | 2-4 |
| UEFA Europa League | Shakhtar Donetsk – Besiktas | 2-0 |
| UEFA Conference League | St. Patrick’s – Besiktas | 1-4 |
| UEFA Conference League | Besiktas – St. Patrick’s | 3-2 |
| Super Lig | Besiktas – ikas Eyupspor | 2-1 |
| UEFA Conference League | Lausanne – Besiktas | 1-1 |
The squad has also seen changes since the first leg.
Midfielder Tayfur Bingol has joined Kocaelispor, left-back Emrecan Terzi was loaned to Serikspor, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract was terminated. Jean Onana is not included in the UEFA list, while summer signings Tammy Abraham and Rafa Silva are available for selection.
Local media suggest a probable starting 11 of Mert Gunok in goal, a back line of Jonas Svensson, Gabriel Paulista, Felix Uduokhai, and Emirhan Topcu, with Orkun Kokcu and Wilfred Ndidi anchoring midfield. Ernest Muci, Rafa Silva, and Joao Mario are expected to support Abraham up front.
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