Besiktas 4-1 Marseille: Fourth Straight Defeat for Genesio

Beşiktaş beat Olympique de Marseille 4-1 at the Tüpraş Stadyumu in Istanbul on 17 September 2026, opening the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase with one of the heaviest scorelines of the round.

İlhan Fakılı put the hosts in front after 15 minutes. Marseille levelled in the first half through Keyliane Abdallah, but the match turned in a four-minute spell shortly before the hour mark. Václav Černý restored the lead on 56 minutes with a deflected effort, Murillo made it 3-1 three minutes later, and Ernest Poku added the fourth on 81 minutes. In UEFA's own matchday round-up, the governing body described Beşiktaş pulling clear "with two goals in four minutes ahead of the hour", with Fakılı hitting the crossbar in between.

It was the first European match in charge for Vincenzo Italiano, whose appointment Beşiktaş announced on 6 June 2026. According to Daily Sabah, the win was Beşiktaş's second in three meetings with Marseille; the clubs had previously met in the 2007/08 Champions League group stage, taking a victory each.

**Why it matters.** The Europa League now runs as a single 36-team league table rather than eight small groups, so the margin of a result counts as well as the points. Goal difference is the first tie-break used to separate teams across the eight-match league phase, and the top eight go straight to the round of 16 while sides finishing ninth to 24th face a knockout play-off round. A four-goal opening night therefore buys Beşiktaş more than three points: it gives Italiano's team a cushion in a table where a single place can decide whether a club plays two extra European ties in February.

For Marseille, the defeat carries the opposite weight. It was a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions. Bruno Génésio, who took over on 1 July 2026 following Habib Beye's departure, opened his Ligue 1 campaign with a win over Strasbourg before defeats to Monaco, Paris FC and Rennes left the club with three points from four matches. beIN Sports noted ahead of the weekend that Marseille have never before lost four of their opening five league games of a top-flight season.

Get French Football News reported that Génésio set his side up to absorb pressure and counter in Istanbul, a departure from Marseille's possession game domestically, and that a higher press after the interval left the centre-backs exposed.

The two clubs now face very different tests. Marseille host Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique this weekend. Beşiktaş travel to Hoffenheim for matchday 2 on 15 October 2026.