Will the Jutlanders blow their debut?
Early on in the Europa League qualifiers, we’ve already seen a high-profile matchup between two clubs that have made waves in the Champions League in the past. It’s certainly difficult to predict the outcome of the first leg between Besiktas and Midtjylland, which will also serve as a test of where each team stands. For both clubs, this is the first competitive match of the still very young 2026/27 season.
For the Kara Kartallar, it’s even the competitive debut for new coach Vincenzo Italiano. The club, which finished a disappointing fourth in the Süper Lig last season, is also still without Leandro Trossard, who has been granted special leave following the World Cup.
On top of that, the Turkish side has not yet finalized its roster. There has been intense speculation recently about whether the 21-time Turkish champions will succeed in luring Mo Salah to the Bosphorus—which would undoubtedly be a major coup—but it also underscores the club’s enormous ambitions, as they are practically obligated to reach the Europa League group stage. This makes the matchup against Mike Tullberg’s Jutland side all the more daunting.
In the Besiktas vs. Midtjylland match, our prediction leans very slightly toward the visitors, who recently won three consecutive friendly matches by large margins with a combined score of 14–3 and will certainly not hide their usual attacking style on the Bosporus. Our tip therefore points to a high-scoring match in which both teams will find the back of the net.
Beşiktaş – Midtjylland Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-Head: 0 – 0 – 0
There has never been an international competitive match between these two clubs before. For the Kara Kartallar, this is actually their very first match ever against a Danish club. Consequently, there are no “head-to-head” statistics that could influence our Besiktas vs. Midtjylland prediction.
Besiktas – Midtjylland Prediction
For Beşiktaş, it’s a huge disappointment to even have to compete in the Europa League qualifiers instead of playing for a spot in the Champions League, where the proud club from the Bosphorus has previously reached the quarterfinals. The pressure is immense, as FC Midtjylland—one of the toughest opponents in this qualifying round—is coming to town, having recently shown impressive early-season form in friendly matches. This stands in stark contrast to the Kara Kartallar, who have gone winless in three consecutive matches against Widzew Łódź (0–2), Malzenice (1–1), and Spartak Trvana (2–3). Mind you, these were against clubs that sound more like Conference League teams.
Vincenzo Italiano, who experimented a lot in those matches, must also do without several players. Although there were some high-profile new signings, including Alexander Nübel, Salih Özcan, and Kassoum Ouattara, the club’s management has not yet reached an agreement with Mo Salah. The roster is therefore still incomplete.
Considering that the Kara Kartallar conceded at least one goal in each of their last three friendlies, while the Danish Wolves have shown themselves to be very goal-hungry and won all three of their final friendlies with a combined score of 14-3, we recommend betting that both teams will score in Thursday night’s first leg on the Bosphorus.
