Tonight's UEFA Conference League matches: Beşiktaş and Başakşehir on the scene

The first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off round is set to begin, featuring two major Turkish clubs with their sights set on a spot in the main competition. Beşiktaş will be on the road for their play-off opener, traveling to Switzerland to face Lausanne at La Tuiliere Stadium. The match is scheduled for an 9:15 PM local time kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on S Sport and S Sport Plus in Türkiye. The game will be officiated by a team from Norway, led by referee Sigurd Kringstad.

The "Black and Whites" began their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League but were eliminated after two losses to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, which saw them drop into the Conference League. Since then, they've found their footing, advancing past Irish side St. Patrick's in the third qualifying round. The team is now aiming to eliminate Lausanne to secure their place in the league phase.

Beşiktaş will be without Mustafa Hekimoğlu due to injury. The status of David Jurasek and Ernest Muçi, who both picked up muscle injuries in a recent Super Lig match, is currently uncertain. The club has added new transfers Wilfred Ndidi and Taylan Bulut to their UEFA squad list, and both players are available to make their European debuts for the club. Beşiktaş is in good form, having won their last three official matches, and will look to continue their winning streak and gain a crucial away advantage.

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Meanwhile, İstanbul Başakşehir will host Romanian side Universitatea Craiova at Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, with the match scheduled for an 8:45 PM local time kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on TRT 1 in Türkiye.

The "Orange and Blues" started their Conference League journey in the second qualifying round, where they successfully eliminated Bulgarian side Cherno More. They followed that up with an impressive victory over Norway's Viking to book their place in the play-offs. This will be the first time Başakşehir has faced a Romanian team in a European competition.

Their opponent, Universitatea Craiova, is a formidable team with a strong record this season, boasting seven wins, one draw, and three losses in all competitions. They currently top the Romanian First Football League with 16 points after six matches. The team's roster includes familiar names to Turkish football fans, with Silviu Lung and Alexandru Cicaldau, both of whom previously played for clubs in Türkiye. Universitatea Craiova will be aiming for a strong away performance, but Başakşehir will look to capitalize on their home advantage in this crucial first leg.

Tonight's UEFA Conference League games

The schedule for the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off round is as follows. Matches are listed by Turkish time (GMT+03:00):

• 19:00: Rosenborg (Norway) vs. Mainz (Germany)
• 20:00: Hamrun Spartans (Malta) vs. RFS (Latvia)
• 20:00: Györi (Hungary) vs. Rapid Wien (Austria)
• 20:00: Hacken (Sweden) vs. CFR Cluj (Romania)
• 20:00: Wolfsberger (Austria) vs. Omonia (Cyprus)
• 20:45: İstanbul Başakşehir (Türkiye) vs. Universitatea Craiova (Romania)
• 21:00: Breidablik (Iceland) vs. Virtus (San Marino)
• 21:00: Drita (Kosovo) vs. Differdange (Luxembourg)
• 21:00: Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) vs. Noah (Armenia)
• 21:00: Strasbourg (France) vs. Brondby (Denmark)
• 21:00: Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) vs. Servette (Switzerland)
• 21:00: Anderlecht (Belgium) vs. AEK (Greece)
• 21:00: Celje (Slovenia) vs. Banik Ostrava (Czech Republic)
• 21:00: Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) vs. AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)
• 21:00: Polissya (Ukraine) vs. Fiorentina (Italy)
• 21:00: Neman (Belarus) vs. Rayo Vallecano (Spain)
• 21:00: Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) vs. Riga (Latvia)
• 21:15: Jagiellonia (Poland) vs. Dinamo City (Albania)
• 21:15: Lausanne (Switzerland) vs. Beşiktaş (Türkiye)
• 21:45: Shelbourne (Ireland) vs. Linfield (Northern Ireland)
• 22:00: Crystal Palace (England) vs. Fredrikstad (Norway)
• 22:00: Rakow (Poland) vs. Arda (Bulgaria)
• 22:00: Hibernian (Scotland) vs. Legia Warsaw (Poland)
• 22:00: Santa Clara (Portugal) vs. Shamrock Rovers (Ireland)