Besiktas Dominates Europe as Nübel Shines
Besiktas have barely started the season, but Vincenzo Italiano already has a machine on his hands.
A 3-0 away win over FK Kauno Zalgiris in the first leg of their Europa League play-off has put the Turkish side with one foot in the league phase of the 2026/27 competition. The scoreline was ruthless, the performance even more so.
The tone was set almost immediately. In the 6th minute, Hyeon-Gyu Oh pounced to open the scoring and silence the home crowd. Six minutes later, Michael Amir Murillo arrived to double the lead, turning early dominance into a commanding advantage. When Orkun Kökcü swept in the third in the 59th minute, the tie felt all but decided.
Yet the story of Besiktas’ season so far is not the goals. It’s the man stopping them.
Nübel’s flawless start
Alexander Nübel made his sixth competitive appearance for Besiktas in Kaunas. He has six clean sheets. No goals conceded. Not one.
The Turkish press have already found their headline. “Nübel is a wall – he does not concede any goals,” wrote daily newspaper Hürriyet, hailing the German goalkeeper and his instant impact “in the black-and-white shirt.”
For a player who spent six years on the books at Bayern Munich and managed just four competitive appearances, this is a different world. His loan spell at Stuttgart had already restored his reputation. Istanbul is now turning it into something bigger.
Besiktas have won all six games under Italiano this season. They have not been breached once.
Big spending, instant return
This start is no accident. It has been built on heavy investment and a clear plan.
Club officials have already committed just under €67 million on new signings. Nübel arrived permanently from Bayern Munich in July for just under €6 million, a fee that already looks like a bargain given his form and authority.
Kökcü, previously on loan from Benfica, was signed outright for €30 million to anchor the midfield and drive play forward. Up front, Besiktas moved aggressively in the market, landing Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus Turin on a free transfer and adding Leandro Trossard from Arsenal for €18 million to sharpen their attacking options.
The early signs suggest the pieces are fitting together quickly under Italiano. Six games, six wins, no goals conceded: it is the kind of platform that can transform a season’s expectations.
One cloud on a clear horizon
Not everything went Besiktas’ way in Lithuania. Trossard, one of the marquee arrivals, was forced off injured during the win over Zalgiris, a worrying note on an otherwise dominant night. The club will hope the damage is minor. With domestic and European campaigns to juggle, depth in attack will matter.
There is little time to breathe. Before the second leg against Kauno Zalgiris next Thursday, Besiktas travel to Alanyaspor on matchday two of the Süper Lig, carrying that perfect record and rising confidence with them.
The question now is simple: with a wall in goal, a refreshed squad, and momentum already rolling, just how far can this Besiktas side go this season?
