Beşiktaş Aims for Group Stage in UEFA Europa League Play-Off Against Lugano

Beşiktaş Aims for Group Stage in UEFA Europa League Play-Off Against Lugano

Beşiktaş is set to face Swiss side Lugano in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round. The match will take place at Tüpraş Stadium and kick off at 21:00 local time, with Radu Petrescu from the Romanian Football Federation officiating.

The first leg in Switzerland ended in a 3-3 draw. The winner of this match will secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League group stage, while the loser will continue their European campaign in the UEFA Conference League.

Beşiktaş will advance with any win. A draw will push the game to extra time or penalties, while a loss would see Lugano through to the group stage. In the first leg, Beşiktaş took a 3-1 lead but couldn’t prevent Lugano from scoring consecutive goals, resulting in a draw. This marked Beşiktaş’s first official game this season without a victory. They previously defeated Galatasaray 5-0 in the Super Cup and won their league matches against Samsunspor (2-0) and Antalyaspor (4-2).

Sixth Encounter with Swiss Teams

This match will be Beşiktaş’s sixth encounter against Swiss opposition. In the 2007-2008 season, Beşiktaş faced Zurich in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, drawing 1-1 away and winning 2-0 at home to progress to the group stage. Last season, Beşiktaş and Lugano were in the same group in the UEFA Conference League. Beşiktaş lost 3-2 at home but won 2-0 in Switzerland. This season, Beşiktaş drew 3-3 away to Lugano.

Three Times Quarter-Finalists in European Competitions

Beşiktaş has reached the quarter-finals of European competitions three times: in the 1986-1987 European Cup, in the 2002-2003 UEFA Cup, and in the 2016-2017 UEFA Europa League.

Necip Uysal Out Due to Injury

Beşiktaş will be without Necip Uysal, who underwent surgery after a cruciate ligament injury sustained in training last week. Lugano will miss Albian Hajdari due to a red card suspension.

Probable Lineups

Beşiktaş: Mert, Svensson, Paulista, Emirhan, Masuaku, Al-Musrati, Gedson Fernandes, Rashica, Rafa Silva, Semih, Immobile

Lugano: Saipi, Zanotti, Papadopoulos, El Wafi, Valenzuela, Mahmoud, Doumbia, Bislimi, Steffen, Aliseda, Vladi

Pre-Match Statistics

• The three European encounters between Beşiktaş and Lugano have produced a total of 13 goals (Beşiktaş 7-6 Lugano).

• Beşiktaş has lost only one of its five European matches against Swiss teams (2W, 2D), the sole defeat coming against Lugano last season in the Conference League group stage (2-3).

• Lugano has conceded at least two goals in all five of its European matches against Turkish teams (1W, 1D, 3L), with their only victory coming away at Beşiktaş (3-2) in October 2023.

• Beşiktaş has progressed in each of their last six two-legged European ties, matching their longest run from September 2004 to August 2008.

• Lugano has advanced in only one of their last seven two-legged European ties, defeating Partizan in the Europa League third qualifying round this season.

• Beşiktaş has lost its last three home European matches, a streak only surpassed between October 2018 and October 2019.

• Lugano is unbeaten in its last three European matches (1W, 2D), with their longest run of four games dating back to August-September 1995 (2W, 2D).

• Among the 104 teams with at least 50 qualifying matches in European competitions, only PSV (67%) has a higher win percentage than Beşiktaş (65%).

• New signing Rafa Silva has contributed to goals in all four of his official appearances for Beşiktaş this season (3 goals & 2 assists).

• Giovanni van Bronckhorst has successfully progressed in all six of his two-legged European ties since returning to Europe in the 2021/22 season.