Besiktas v Marseille: Europa League opener brings contrasting fortunes

Besiktas host Olympique de Marseille on Thursday, 17 September 2026, in the opening round of the Europa League’s league phase. Kick-off at Stade Tupras is scheduled for 19:00 GMT.

The match will be shown in France on Canal+ Sport and in the United Kingdom on HBO Max. Coverage is also available on Movistar Plus+ in Spain, RTL+ in Germany, Canal+ in Austria, RTBF, Telenet, BeTV and VRT in Belgium, and Paramount+, DAZN, TUDN and ViX in the United States.

Viewers in Canada can watch on DAZN, while Sky holds the rights in Italy and Ziggo Sport in the Netherlands. The game will be broadcast by Sport TV and DAZN in Portugal, SuperSport and New World TV in sub-Saharan Africa, and beIN Sports in the MENA region.

Previous meetings

The clubs last met in the 2007 Champions League. Olympique de Marseille won the first match 2-0 at the Velodrome, before Besiktas claimed a 2-1 victory in Istanbul.

Besiktas have since remained unbeaten in their past four matches against French clubs, recording two wins and two draws against Lyon and Monaco.

Olympique de Marseille, meanwhile, have a balanced European record against Turkish opposition. Across 12 matches, they have recorded four wins, four draws and four defeats. Their most recent loss to a Turkish club came against Galatasaray in 2021.

Opposing starts to the season

Marseille arrive in Turkey under pressure after losing their past three matches. Their latest defeat came away to Rennes on Friday, when they were beaten 1-0 despite producing a performance that offered some encouragement.

The French side’s main problem in Brittany was a lack of cutting edge. They will need to be more effective in front of goal against a Besiktas defence that has shown considerable strength and is fully accustomed to Italiano’s system.

Besiktas, by contrast, are enjoying an almost perfect start. They recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over Erzurumspor last week, with their only setback coming in the second round of the Super Lig.

The Istanbul club are second in the table, one point behind Galatasaray. Their strong opening has been helped by the successful adaptation of major summer signings Leandro Trossard and Dusan Vlahovic.

Besiktas will begin the game with confidence, while Marseille’s run of defeats is likely to bring a more cautious and disciplined approach. The hosts’ strength at home and the visitors’ need to respond could make a draw the most likely outcome.

The Africafoot prediction is a 1-1 draw.

According to the quoted 1xbet odds, Besiktas are priced at 1.74 to win, a draw at 4.00 and a Marseille victory at 3.90.