Besiktas face Midtjylland amid Mohamed Salah transfer links in Europa League qualifier

Turkish giants Besiktas host Denmark’s Midtjylland on Thursday evening in a high‐profile Europa League qualifying clash, with the Istanbul club’s reported interest in Liverpool star Mohamed Salah adding extra intrigue to the tie.

The match, one of the standout fixtures as European and pre‐season campaigns gather pace, kicks off at 21:00 local time at Besiktas’s home ground.

Besiktas in spotlight as Salah rumours swirl

Besiktas have been heavily mentioned in recent days in connection with a potential move for Egypt captain Mohamed Salah, currently at Liverpool. While no deal has been agreed, the association of Salah’s name with the club has placed their European opener under additional scrutiny.

The Europa League preliminary round fixture against Midtjylland offers the Turkish side an early competitive test as they seek progress to the main stages of UEFA’s secondary competition. For Midtjylland, regulars in European qualification rounds, the trip to Istanbul represents a chance to secure a valuable first‐leg result against one of the region’s most fervently supported clubs.

The tie gets under way at 21:00, with Besiktas looking to make home advantage count in front of their supporters.

Ahly begin new era under Ammouta with friendly against Al‐Nassr

In North Africa, Egyptian champions Al Ahly are also stepping up preparations for the 2026‐27 season, with new coach Hussein Ammouta taking charge of his first match.

Ahly will face Saudi side Al‐Nassr in their opening pre‐season friendly as the Cairo club begin building towards another demanding domestic and continental campaign. The game is scheduled to start at 18:00 local time.

The fixture will offer Ammouta an initial opportunity to assess his squad in a match setting, experiment with tactical ideas and give minutes to a range of players following the summer break.

As of Thursday morning, no television broadcaster had yet been confirmed for the encounter, meaning some supporters may have to rely on club channels and social media updates for coverage of Ammouta’s first outing in the dugout.

Benfica travel to Switzerland for key warm‐up

Elsewhere in Europe, Portuguese giants Benfica continue their own pre‐season schedule with a trip to Switzerland to face St Gallen.

The match, which also kicks off at 21:00, is among the day’s most notable friendlies, providing Benfica with another examination of their form and fitness levels ahead of the new Portuguese league campaign and upcoming European commitments.

St Gallen, competing in the Swiss Super League, will seek to make a statement against one of Europe’s most storied clubs, with the home side hoping to test their defensive resilience and attacking sharpness against high‐calibre opposition.

Season build‐up gathers pace

Across the continent and beyond, clubs are now moving from initial training phases into more serious match action, with a mix of friendlies and early‐round European qualifiers marking the start of the 2026‐27 football calendar.

From Ahly’s first look at life under Hussein Ammouta, to Besiktas’s Europa League push set against talk of a bold move for Mohamed Salah, Thursday’s fixtures signal that preparations for the new season are firmly under way.