Beşiktaş edge Midtjylland to seize 1st-leg Europa League lead

Beşiktaş opened their 2026-27 season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Midtjylland on Thursday, as Orkun Kökçü’s first-half strike gave the Turkish side a slender advantage in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round tie.

Playing in front of their home supporters at Tüpraş Stadium, the Black Eagles produced a disciplined performance to shut out the Danish visitors and carry a one-goal cushion into next week’s decisive return leg in Denmark.

Kökçü proved the difference in the 26th minute, finishing off one of Beşiktaş’s best attacking moves to score the club’s first competitive goal of the new campaign.

His strike rewarded a confident opening spell in which Beşiktaş controlled possession and dictated the tempo against a Midtjylland side known for its physical, organized approach in European competition.

While the visitors threatened sporadically on the counterattack, Beşiktaş’s defense remained composed throughout the match, preserving a valuable clean sheet that could prove crucial over the two-legged series.

The victory gives Beşiktaş an encouraging start to the season and places them in a favorable position ahead of the second leg on July 30 in Denmark, where they will look to protect their narrow aggregate lead and book a place in the third qualifying round.

Preseason provided valuable preparation

Beşiktaş entered the Europa League qualifier after completing an intensive preseason training camp in Slovakia, where the squad played six friendly matches to build fitness and refine tactics before competitive action.

The Turkish club began the camp with a 2-1 victory over Hungary’s Gyirmót before being held to a scoreless draw by fellow Hungarian side MTE 1904 KFT.

Beşiktaş then defeated Austria’s SV Mattersburg 1-0 in a shortened match played in two 35-minute halves but suffered a 2-0 loss to Poland’s Widzew Łódź.

The final day of the camp brought mixed results, with Beşiktaş drawing 1-1 against Slovak club Dinamo Malženice before falling 3-2 to Spartak Trnava.

Overall, the Black Eagles scored six goals and conceded seven during their six preseason outings, showing flashes of defensive resilience while continuing to build attacking chemistry ahead of the new season.

That preparation appeared to pay off in their competitive opener, as Beşiktaş combined defensive organization with enough attacking quality to earn an important first-leg victory.

DAILYSABAH