The Turkish Süper Lig's 2026-27 season gets underway at Tüpraş Stadyumu on 16 August 2026, with Besiktas hosting newly promoted Eyüpspor in what looks like a one sided opening fixture. Besiktas finished fourth last term and come in as title contenders alongside Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, while Eyüpspor ended 15th in their previous top flight spell and are playing survival football from day one. The match also doubles as Vincenzo Italiano's first competitive fixture since his June appointment, so Besiktas supporters will get their first real read on whether his high pressing, possession based ideas hold up at competitive pace.
There is no prior meeting between Italiano and Özhan Pulat, who was appointed on 1 July 2026, so there is no tactical history to draw on. Italiano's track record at previous clubs makes his approach clear: structured pressing, quick vertical passing and constant positional rotation. Pulat has no top flight head coaching record to speak of, which makes the experience gap between the two managers as large as any you will see on an opening weekend.
Besiktas played meaningful European minutes in qualifying this summer, giving Italiano competitive game time before the domestic season began, whereas Eyüpspor's preparations were patchier, understandable given how heavily their squad turned over under new management. No significant injury concerns have been reported for either side, though Eyüpspor are still integrating several new signings and their best available line up will depend on how much time those players have had together.
Italiano typically sets up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, pressing from the front and rotating positions quickly through the middle third. Eyüpspor are likely to defend in a low block, with Emre Akbaba available on the break but their shape will face an early examination against a side that presses at this tempo and has had a full pre season to automate those movements.
Besiktas have won four of the last five meetings, including a 4-0 scoreline, with one draw and no Eyüpspor victories in that run. Eyüpspor have scored in four of those five meetings despite losing them, so a clean sheet is not a given even with this level of dominance on paper.
Set pieces offer another route to goal for Besiktas and their corner and free kick delivery has been a reliable weapon under previous managers. Mid August Istanbul heat may become a factor in the second half if the pace of the game stays high.
Besiktas 3-1 Eyüpspor. Italiano's side should control territory and possession throughout, with Eyüpspor carrying enough quality up front to get on the scoresheet but not enough to threaten the result.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
