Looking to take a giant leap towards wrapping up their Europa League group stage ticket on Wednesday evening, Besiktas will welcome Kauno Zalgiris to Istanbul.With Europe’s elite domestic leagues set to officially make their respective returns over the next week, there are plenty of attractive betting promotions.Verdict: Besiktas win to nilBest Odds: 4/5Bookmaker: BetUSBesiktasStarting with the hosts, while Besiktas might have struggled to find any real stability when signing off the 2025/26 campaign, Vincenzo Italiano’s men have enjoyed a bright start to proceedings this time around. Extending on their Europa League qualifying adventure last week as they clinched a 2-0 aggregate victory against Czech-based outfit Hradec Kralove, the Black Eagles should find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Opening the new Super Lig campaign with a 1-0 win at home against Eyupspor, Besiktas have also gained a recent reputation for their rugged approach under the former Bologna boss. In fact, Thursday’s hosts have not shipped a single strike in any of their first five competitive appearances across all competitions. Rightfully installed as a landslide contender here, Besiktas will certainly be confident of making another qualifying statement in Istanbul.Besiktas Team NewsAhead of their first-leg battle on Thursday evening, Besiktas have reported a clean bill of health and don’t have any fresh injury concerns. Completing a blockbuster permeant switch from Premier League giants Arsenal this summer, Belgium international Leandro Trossard will feature in attack.Bagging back-to-back winners over the past week and now in his second campaign in Istanbul, former Rangers marksman Vaclav Cerny will spearhead Italiano’s attack here.Kauno ZalgirisAs for the visitors, watching their Champions League dreams go up in smoke last week, Kauno Zalgiris will certainly be bracing themselves for another stern examination here. Eventually falling to a 7-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb, Zeljko Sopic’s side also have a real tussle in the battle to defend their domestic crown this season. Missing out on the chance to claim some much-welcomed stability over the weekend as they were forced to settle for a disappointing 1-1 stalemate at home against Transinvest, Thursday’s guests have now won just a pair of their previous six appearances across all competitions. Likewise, drawing consecutive blanks away from the Darius and Girenas Stadium for the first time this calendar year, Kauno Zalgiris are rightfully installed as a landslide underdog in Istanbul.Kauno Zalgiris Team NewsBoth handed domestic rests against Transinvest last weekend, the defensive duo of Joris Moutachy and Lithuanian international Rokas Lekiatas will both be handed immediate full recalls on Thursday evening.Completing a summer switch from Japanese-based outfit Sagan Tosu over the summer, one-time Hibernian star Vykintas Slivka will start in the middle of the park. Despite still waiting to open his European qualifying account, Brazilian striker Renan Oliveira should keep his spot leading the line.Besiktas vs Kauno Zalgiris Key Factors to ConsiderThursday’s first-leg battle in Istanbul will be the first meeting between Besiktas and Kauno Zalgiris.Besiktas have not shipped a single strike in any of their first five competitive appearances across all competitions.The Black Eagles have won their previous three consecutive appearances in Istanbul by a 1-0 scoreline.Kauno Zalgiris have registered back-to-back blanks on their travels for the first time so far this calendar year.Likewise, Thursday’s guests have drawn a blank in three of their last four away fixtures across all formats.ConclusionEnjoying what has been a dominant start to the 2026/27 campaign, Besiktas will certainly be confident of laying down another Europa League qualifying marker here. With the mood around Istanbul at a continued high, the Black Eagles are rightfully installed as a landslide contender on Thursday evening. Gaining a fearsome reputation for their defensive grit and yet to ship a single strike from any of their first five competitive appearances across all formats since opening up the 2026/27 campaign, we are backing another routine home victory in Istanbul.Verdict: Besiktas win to nilBest Odds: 4/5Bookmaker: BetUSThe post Prediction: Besiktas vs Kauno Zalgiris appeared first on SoccerNews.