Beşiktaş lost 0-1 to Kauno Žalgiris in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff on August 27, 2026. However, after winning the first leg 3-0, Beşiktaş secured a 3-1 aggregate victory and confirmed its place in the Europa League league phase.
Why Beşiktaş Advanced Despite the Loss
The final result of this tie was determined not by the score of the second leg alone, but by the aggregate score across both matches. Beşiktaş protected the three-goal advantage it built in the first leg and advanced despite the away defeat.
Beşiktaş’s result is a case in which a “second-leg defeat” and an “aggregate victory” both stood at the same time.
According to official UEFA materials, the 2026/27 Europa League league phase will feature 36 teams, with Beşiktaş included among the participants. However, the list was described as provisional and does not reflect disciplinary or licensing issues.
Italiano’s First Target
After the match, head coach Vincenzo Italiano said that taking part in the Europa League had been a personal goal for himself as well as a goal for the club and the team. Advancing through the playoff meant that the team had achieved one of the objectives set at the beginning of the season.
Italiano also outlined his first target for the league phase: finishing in the top 24 to secure a place in the knockout play-offs. This does not mean that Beşiktaş has secured the Europa League title or confirmed passage through the subsequent knockout rounds; it was an initial benchmark for the league phase.
Schedule Details to Watch Next
The draw for the 2026/27 Europa League league phase is scheduled for August 28, 2026, at 13:00 CET. Beşiktaş’s specific opponents and match schedule will therefore be confirmed after the draw results are announced.
Meanwhile, after Kauno Žalgiris’s victory over Beşiktaş in the second leg of the playoff, Kauno Žalgiris head coach Željko Sopić said there was a significant difference in level between the two teams. This statement came from a different person after a separate match in the same playoff and is distinct from Italiano’s comments about his goals.
Italiano has also been reported as the coach to win all of Beşiktaş’s first four matches in European competition qualifying. This time, Beşiktaş lost the second leg but preserved its aggregate advantage and entered the Europa League league phase.