Trabzonspor will look to take advantage of house benefit Thursday after they host Ferencvaros in the primary leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff tie, with a spot in the league part at stake.
The match at Papara Park will kick off at 8:00 p.m. native time.
The return leg is scheduled for Aug. 27 at Groupama Arena in Budapest, making Thursday’s assembly an necessary alternative for Trabzonspor to construct a bonus earlier than touring to Hungary.
Trabzonspor earned a direct place in the playoff spherical after successful final season’s Turkish Cup. The Black Sea Storm bypassed the sooner qualifying rounds and now face a Ferencvaros facet that coach Fatih Tekke has acknowledged is stronger on paper.
That warning comes after an underwhelming start to Trabzonspor’s home marketing campaign. The staff opened its Super Lig season with a 1-1 draw away to Kasimpasa on Sunday, surrendering the lead after Noah Saviolo’s opener was canceled out by Adrian Benedyczak’s penalty.
Still, the match offered Trabzonspor followers with an encouraging glimpse of their largest offseason signing.
Mohamed Salah got here off the bench in the 58th minute to make his aggressive debut for the membership. Despite taking part in solely round half-hour, the Egyptian ahead made an instantaneous influence, recording the best expected-goals determine of any participant in the match, creating two possibilities and trying eight crosses.
The efficiency has strengthened expectations that Salah can be handed his first start towards Ferencvaros.
The 34-year-old joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract after 9 seasons at Liverpool, making the transfer probably the most outstanding free transfers in Super Lig historical past. Salah additionally helped Egypt attain the spherical of 16 on the 2026 World Cup and brings intensive European expertise to a Trabzonspor facet in search of to return to the Europa League league part.
A primary start at Papara Park would additionally give the membership’s supporters their first alternative to watch Salah from the opening whistle in a aggressive house match.
Trabzonspor could have one other main attacking risk in Paul Onuachu, who completed final season as one of many Super Lig’s joint-top scorers with 22 targets. The mixture of Onuachu’s bodily presence and Salah’s creativity might present the hosts with the attacking firepower wanted to break down an skilled Ferencvaros protection.
However, Tekke may additionally be tempted to strategy the primary leg cautiously. Ferencvaros have already proven their capability to navigate European qualifying ties and can arrive in Trabzon with confidence.
The Hungarian champions eradicated Gornik Zabrze in the earlier qualifying spherical. Ferencvaros gained the primary leg 1-0 and drew the return 1-1 to advance 2-1 on combination.
That consequence additionally assured Ferencvaros no less than a spot in the Conference League league part, that means they’ll strategy the playoff with some safety whatever the consequence.
Their latest European document additional underlines the problem going through Trabzonspor. Last season, Ferencvaros recovered from a 2-0 combination deficit towards Ludogorets to win 3-2 in the Europa League knockout playoff spherical.
They have additionally remained unbeaten away from house throughout this season’s qualifying marketing campaign, beating Vojvodina and Twente whereas drawing with Gornik.
Papara Park, nonetheless, might present Trabzonspor with a major increase.
The membership’s supporters have proven sturdy curiosity in the primary European house match of the season, with tickets reportedly shut to promoting out. The 41,000-capacity stadium is predicted to be packed, creating the form of environment Trabzonspor will hope can unsettle the guests.
The hosts could have to deal with a number of absences. Okay Yokuslu and Arseniy Batagov weren’t included on the UEFA squad listing due to their health conditions, whereas Tim Jabol-Folcarelli continues to get better from a knee harm and Ernest Muci is sidelined with a hamstring drawback.
Ferencvaros haven’t any recent harm issues following their victory over Gornik and are anticipated to subject a largely unchanged lineup.
Goalkeeper Denes Dibusz stays an necessary determine for the Hungarian champions, whereas Kristoffer Zachariassen and Lenny Joseph have performed key roles in their assault in the course of the qualifying marketing campaign.
