Preview

Shakhtar will face Besiktas (Turkey) in the test match. The game will take place at the Stadion Z'dezele in Celje. It kicks off at 19:30 Kyiv time.

All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks will be streamed live on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.

Opponents

Being formed in Istanbul in 1903, Besiktas JK is one of the three most successful clubs in the country. The team claimed 21 championship titles (won the Turkish Super Lig 16 times and the previous leagues 5 times), became the Cup holders 11 times and won the Super Cup 9 times throughout their history. In the previous 2023/24 season, the Black Eagles finished only in 6th spot in the Turkish domestic league, but won the Turkish Cup, defeating Trabzonspor in an impressive final (3-2).

In June 2024, Giovanni van Bronckhorst became the new head coach of Besiktas. The 49-year-old Dutch specialist previously worked with Feyenoord (2015–2019), Guangzhou (2020) and Glasgow Rangers (2021–22). The leaders of the team are the hero of Euro 2024, goalkeeper Mert Gunok, captain Necip Uysal, the most expensive player of the club according to Transfermarkt, central midfielder Gedson Fernandes (transfer fee is EUR 15 million), as well as the best scorers of the Eagles last season, Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar (12 goals), 18-year-old Turkish striker Semih Kılıcsoy (12 goals) and the Turkey national team forward Cenk Tosun (11 goals and 8 assists). The club is also active in the transfer market: experienced forwards have already been acquired in the summer – the Italian Ciro Immobile from Lazio and Portuguese Rafa Silva from Benfica, as well as signed defensive midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati from Braga.

As part of the preparation for the season, which will start for them on August 3 with the match for the Turkish Super Cup against Galatasaray, the Istanbul-based side had only 1 test match – against Umraniyespor (0-0). We would like to add that Shakhtar and Besiktas have met twice in friendlies before: in 2013, the Miners confidently defeated the opponents (4-1), and in 2018, the teams tied (0-0).