Football Agenda for July 29, 2026: Fenerbahçe in Zabrze, Beşiktaş Heads to Denmark, Galatasaray's Venezia Shock
Champions League Night: Fenerbahçe on the Road Tonight
Second qualifying round return legs in European competitions are wrapping up one after another. In last night's six Champions League return legs, Sabah beat KuPS Kuopio 2-0, while Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps drew 0-0 with Mjällby, who advanced on the back of a 3-0 first-leg lead. Dinamo Zagreb progressed with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time win away at Thun, and Sturm Graz thrashed Hearts 2-0 in Scotland. Celje eliminated Egnatia on penalties, while Ararat-Armenia sealed their passage past Shamrock Rovers.
Tonight's headline act, however, is Fenerbahçe. Having won the first leg 1-0 at home thanks to an Anderson Talisca strike, the Turkish giants travel to Poland to face Górnik Zabrze. Kick-off at the Roosevelt Stadium is set for 21:00 local time, with Belgian referee Lothar D'Hondt in charge. Fenerbahçe will advance to the third qualifying round with either a win or a draw, and the match will be broadcast live on S Sport Plus.
Beşiktaş Head to Denmark to Protect Their Edge
Having beaten Midtjylland 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round tie thanks to an Orkun Kökçü goal, Beşiktaş depart for Denmark today. The Black-and-Whites will train at 10:30 before flying by chartered plane from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Herning. Tomorrow's (July 30) return leg kicks off at 20:00 at Herning Arena, where a draw or win would be enough for Beşiktaş to progress on their slim but crucial away-goals-free lead. The match will again be shown exclusively on S Sport Plus.
Başakşehir Eye Progress in Finland
After playing out a 1-1 draw at home against Finnish side Inter Turku in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, İstanbul Başakşehir are now heading to Finland for the decisive return leg. Under head coach Nuri Şahin, the team is completing final preparations ahead of tomorrow's (July 30) kick-off at 19:00 Turkish time. The match is part of a full slate of Conference League second-leg fixtures scheduled for tomorrow, with Başakşehir looking to secure a favorable result on the road.
A Tough Test for Galatasaray: Defeat to Venezia
Reigning Süper Lig champions Galatasaray continue their pre-season preparations at their training camp in Windischgarsten, Austria, but results in friendly matches haven't gone their way. The Istanbul giants suffered a 3-0 defeat to Italian side Venezia at Hofmann Personal Stadium in Linz, marking their second consecutive friendly loss. Under head coach Okan Buruk, the starting lineup included Günay Güvenç, Roland Sallai, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Kazımcan Karataş, Kaan Ayhan, Lucas Torreira, Yunus Akgün, İlkay Gündoğan, Eren Elmalı, and Victor Osimhen. The camp is part of the Summer Series Upper Austria event, and Buruk's recent comments about the club's intense workload during the transfer window remain a talking point.
An Unusual Proposal at Trabzonspor's Camp: A Friendly Match Offer from China
Trabzonspor continue their pre-season work under head coach Fatih Tekke at their Austria training camp, combining morning conditioning sessions with evening tactical work, while a handful of injured players remain sidelined from training. An intriguing development away from the pitch also made headlines: China's Ambassador to Turkey reportedly made a special proposal to organize a friendly match between the two countries, with Trabzon's mayor said to be relaying the offer to club president Ertuğrul Doğan. The club has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
With return legs and friendlies dominating the schedule this week, the coming days will largely shape how far Turkish clubs advance in Europe. All eyes are on Zabrze tonight, and on Herning and Turku tomorrow.
The agenda may change throughout the day; follow official announcements for the latest updates.