Beşiktaş will visit Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off on Thursday, August 27. According to the Turkish club, the match at Dariaus ir Girėno Stadium will begin at 20:00 in Türkiye, or 19:00 Central European Summer Time. Beşiktaş carry a significant advantage after winning the first leg in Istanbul 3-0.
Final preparations completed
Beşiktaş held their final training session on the morning of August 26 at the BJK Nevzat Demir training facility. The club said the session lasted about 90 minutes and included conditioning, tactical work, possession drills and set pieces. The squad then travelled to Kaunas.
Head coach Vincenzo Italiano selected 24 players for the trip. Goalkeepers Alexander Nübel, Doğan Alemdar and Emir Yaşar are included. Defensive options include Kassoum Ouattara, Emmanuel Agbadou, Taylan Bulut, Rıdvan Yılmaz, Tiago Djaló, Emirhan Topçu, Yasin Özcan and Amir Murillo.
The 24-player travelling squad
The midfield and wide group consists of Wilfred Ndidi, Amir Hadžiahmetović, Salih Özcan, Milot Rashica, Kartal Kayra Yılmaz, Orkun Kökçü, Junior Olaitan, Václav Černý and İlhan Fakılı. Hyeon-gyu Oh, Dušan Vlahović, Ahmet Sami Bircan and Semih Kılıçsoy are the attacking players named by the club.
The travelling list is not the confirmed starting eleven. UEFA’s match page contains a broader list of players registered for the competition, while the Beşiktaş announcement specifies the 24 players taken to Lithuania. The final starters and substitutes will be published closer to kick-off.
What the first-leg lead means
Beşiktaş won the first match 3-0 in Istanbul on August 20. Under UEFA’s qualifying format, the aggregate score across the two legs decides which team advances. The Turkish side therefore begin the return match with a three-goal advantage, while Kauno Žalgiris must recover at least three goals to level the tie.
The result does not make the return leg a formality. If the aggregate score is level after 90 minutes, the match proceeds to extra time and then, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out. The away-goals rule is not used, so goals scored away from home do not carry additional weight.
Limits of match prediction
Beşiktaş’s advantage gives the team more control over the aggregate situation, but official sources have not published Italiano’s detailed tactical plan. Claims that the team will begin defensively, rotate specific players or use a particular starting formation remain predictions rather than confirmed information.
UEFA has also published Kauno Žalgiris’s registered squad, but the home side’s starting eleven has not been confirmed. Official club channels and the UEFA match centre remain the reliable sources for any late change.
What is at stake?
The winner of the tie will enter the UEFA Europa League league phase. The play-off is the final qualifying step before the main competition. Beşiktaş’s verified objective is to protect the 3-0 aggregate lead and secure their place.
The league phase uses a shared table and a schedule against several different opponents rather than another two-legged tie against one club. Beşiktaş’s possible opponents and dates cannot be treated as final until the play-off is completed and the draw is held.
Match details
The second leg will be played on August 27, 2026 at Dariaus ir Girėno Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 in Türkiye and 19:00 CEST. Beşiktaş lead 3-0 from the first leg. Any injury, suspension, referee or late squad update should be treated as valid only after an announcement from Beşiktaş or UEFA.
