Besiktas Dominates Europe as Nübel Maintains Perfect Start
Besiktas did not just take a step towards the Europa League. They kicked the door open.
Vincenzo Italiano’s new-look side dismantled FK Kauno Zalgiris 3-0 in Istanbul in the first leg of their play-off tie, a result that leaves the Turkish club with one foot in the league phase of the 2026/27 competition.
The tone was set almost immediately.
Hyeon-Gyu Oh needed only six minutes to open the scoring, striking early to calm any nerves and underline the gulf in quality. Six minutes later, it was two: Michael Amir Murillo arrived to double the lead in the 12th minute, turning a potentially awkward European night into a controlled exhibition.
By the time Orkun Kökcü made it 3-0 in the 59th minute, the contest was effectively over and the tie close to it. The scoreboard told one story. The man in goal told another.
Nübel the wall
Alexander Nübel has barely had time to learn all the chants, yet he has already become the face of this Besiktas start.
Against the Lithuanian visitors, the German goalkeeper made his sixth competitive appearance for his new club. He also recorded his sixth clean sheet. Six games, zero goals conceded. A perfect line of zeros that is starting to define Besiktas’ season.
The reaction in Turkey has been instant and loud. Daily newspaper Hürriyet captured the mood with a simple verdict: “Nübel is a wall – he does not concede any goals.” The paper hailed how the former Bayern Munich keeper “has caused a stir with his performances in the black-and-white shirt.”
For Nübel, this is the breakthrough platform he never truly found in Bavaria. Under contract at Bayern from 2020 to 2026, he made only four competitive appearances for the German champions. His loan at Stuttgart restored his reputation. Besiktas, so far, is turning it into something more.
Italiano’s perfect start
Nübel’s form is part of a wider surge. The win over Kauno Zalgiris made it six victories from six under Italiano, all without conceding a single goal. A new coach, a rebuilt squad, and an immediate identity: aggressive, controlled, and unforgiving.
The schedule offers no time to bask. Before the second leg in Lithuania next Thursday, Besiktas head to Alanyaspor on matchday two of the Süper Lig, carrying that flawless record into domestic action.
This is not happening by accident. It has been engineered – and funded.
€67 million statement
Besiktas have backed Italiano heavily. Club officials have already invested just under €67 million in new signings, reshaping the squad in one furious summer.
Nübel arrived permanently from Bayern Munich in July for just under €6 million, a fee that already looks like sharp business. Kökcü, initially on loan from Benfica, was secured on a permanent deal for €30 million, a marquee signing to run the midfield.
The club also moved aggressively in attack. Dusan Vlahovic joined on a free transfer from Juventus, a remarkable deal for a striker of his profile, while Leandro Trossard arrived from Arsenal for €18 million to add creativity and end product in the final third.
It is a transfer strategy with a clear message: Besiktas do not intend to watch this season from the sidelines.
One cloud over a clear night
Not everything went to plan against Zalgiris. Trossard, one of the headline arrivals, picked up an injury during the match and had to leave the pitch early. For a team suddenly rich in options but still building chemistry, losing such a versatile attacker is an unwelcome blow.
Even so, the pattern is impossible to ignore. Six games. Six wins. No goals conceded. A coach whose ideas are landing. A goalkeeper who has turned into a symbol. A squad rebuilt to compete on multiple fronts.
The second leg in Kaunas should be a formality. The real question now is how long Besiktas can keep this relentless, watertight run going once the stakes – and the opponents – rise.
