- 1 Besiktas vs Marseille: three straight defeats for OM against a Turkish side unbeaten for a month
- 2 Besiktas: a transfer window worth tens of millions and Vlahovic already on four goals
- 3 Marseille: three straight losses, two midfield injuries and a squad stretched thin
- 4 Europa League prediction Besiktas vs Marseille
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Besiktas vs Marseille: three straight defeats for OM against a Turkish side unbeaten for a month 
Marseille have lost their last three Ligue 1 matches. Three points from four games is the club’s worst start among French sides qualified for Europe.
OM open their league phase on Thursday, 17 September, in Istanbul, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST. The sporting backdrop could hardly be worse for the men from the south coast.
Besiktas come into this one in the exact opposite mood. Second in the Turkish Super Lig before last weekend’s fixtures, they then brushed aside Erzurumspor 3-0 on 11 September.
The Black Eagles have also already won their biggest domestic test of the season. Fenerbahce were beaten 1-2 in the derby, on the back of a 6-2 demolition of newly promoted Corum.
Their European qualifying run had already set the tone this summer. Midtjylland, Hradec Kralove and Kauno Zalgiris were all dispatched, with just one defeat across the whole campaign.
Marseille arrived here by a very different, and far more awkward, route. The club wanted the Champions League and ended up in the Europa League, a competition where they reached the semi-finals in 2024 and the final in 2018.
The atmosphere will be a strange one for the visitors too. UEFA has banned OM supporters from travelling to Istanbul, a punishment carried over from the Bruges case.
The history between the two clubs is limited to two games, back in 2007 in the Champions League. Besiktas won 2-1 at home before losing 2-0 at the Stade Velodrome.
That lone meeting in Turkey is a useful reference point. Marseille have never won away to Besiktas in an official competition.
The odds make the Turks favourites, with a home win priced at 2.00. Both clubs are targeting the top eight, and every point matters from day one.
Besiktas: a transfer window worth tens of millions and Vlahovic already on four goals 
Besiktas finished fourth in the Super Lig last season, so they had to go through Europa League qualifying. They answered with an almost flawless run.
Midtjylland lost 1-0 and then 0-2, Hradec Kralove were beaten 0-1 and 1-0. Only the second leg of the final play-off against Kauno Zalgiris escaped the Turks, after a 3-0 first-leg win.
The league has backed that up since the restart. Corum conceded six, Fenerbahce were beaten 1-2, and Erzurumspor were swept aside 3-0 on 11 September.
Besiktas’ summer business goes a long way to explaining the step up. Dusan Vlahovic arrived from Juventus and already has four league goals.
Leandro Trossard left Arsenal to join the Istanbul project. The Belgian set up the goal scored by defender Yilmaz in the win over Fenerbahce.
In goal, Alexander Nubel joined from Bayern Munich in the same summer window of 2026. Captain Orkun Kokcu was also signed permanently from Benfica.
The Turkish side also have strong options in midfield with Wilfried Ndidi and Cerny, who has scored two goals in four Super Lig appearances. Djalo, formerly of Lille, adds depth at the back.
A former Marseille player will also be in the opposite camp. Full-back Murillo, who has scored once in the Super Lig this season, will face his old team-mates.
The striker duel is one of the clearest angles on this game. Vlahovic and Amine Gouiri have both scored four goals in their respective leagues.
No injuries have been reported on the Istanbul side ahead of this opener. Besiktas come into it at full strength in front of their own fans.
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Marseille: three straight losses, two midfield injuries and a squad stretched thin 
Marseille made the perfect start to the season with a 4-0 win over Strasbourg on matchday one. Since then, nothing has gone right.
Monaco beat OM 2-0, then Paris FC came to the Stade Velodrome and left with a 2-3 win. The trip to Rennes on 11 September brought a third straight defeat, 1-0.
Adrien Thomasson scored the only goal of that game in the 52nd minute. Bruno Genesio’s side therefore head back from Brittany with just three points on the board.
Stacking up three defeats before a first away game in Europe puts OM in a tricky spot. The psychological margin for error is already tiny before they face Besiktas.
Marseille’s midfield is also hit. Nnadi and Kondogbia both went off injured against Monaco and miss this trip to Turkey.
The attack, though, remains the main source of hope. Amine Gouiri has four Ligue 1 goals, while Paixao arrives after a league season last year that brought six goals and five assists.
Amine Harit is available in midfield and Nayef Aguerd is fit in central defence. Genesio still has a recognisable spine, despite the absences.
The summer window, however, stripped the dressing room of several key figures. Balerdi moved to AS Roma, Rulli to Manchester City, Medina to Bayer Leverkusen and Greenwood to Fenerbahce.
Quinten Timber left late in the window for Crystal Palace in a 20 million euro deal. Aubameyang and Nadir also moved on.
UEFA’s squad list also underlines how thin this group is. Marseille included 15 academy products, among them three goalkeepers, with two of them yet to play a senior match.
Probable Besiktas line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Probable Marseille line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Europa League prediction Besiktas vs Marseille
Our prediction: Besiktas to win
Besiktas have beaten Fenerbahce in the derby, hammered Corum 6-2 and thrashed Erzurumspor 3-0 on 11 September. Marseille, by contrast, arrive on the back of three straight defeats and just three points from four Ligue 1 games.
The balance of power has also shifted in terms of squad quality. Vlahovic, Trossard, Nubel and Kokcu have landed in Istanbul while OM have lost Balerdi, Rulli, Medina, Greenwood and Timber without finding like-for-like replacements.
History adds one last push: Marseille have never beaten Besiktas in Turkey and will be without their fans, kept out by UEFA. Back the Black Eagles at 2.00.
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