Ahead of the UEFA Europa Conference League group stages climax, Thursday will witness two Turkish powerhouses, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, in fierce action, vying to secure their spot in the Round of 16 of the continental third-tier league.
Sitting atop Group H, Fenerbahçe are poised to make their mark on foreign soil as they embark on their journey to Bulgaria to face off against Ludogorets.
Under their head coach, Ismail Kartal, the Yellow Canaries have been nothing short of dominant in the European arena this season.
They have tasted victory in all nine of their contests and they are hungry for another win, one that would see them advance to the next stage.
With an impressive tally of nine points in their group, a draw or a win tomorrow would secure their passage to the knockout rounds.
In their earlier group stage matches, Fenerbahçe showcased their mettle by defeating Denmark's Nordsjaelland 3-1, triumphing over Spartak Trnava 2-1 on foreign soil and dispatching Ludogorets 3-1 in front of their home crowd.
The question now is whether they can maintain this flawless streak.
However, the odds are not entirely in Fenerbahçe's favor.
They will be facing Ludogorets with six key players sidelined due to injuries, including Rodrigo Becao, Alexander Djiku, Fred Rodrigues, Joshua King, Serdar Aziz and Mert Hakan Yandaş.
These notable absences will undoubtedly test the depth of Fenerbahçe's squad.
But it is not all gloom and doom for the Turkish giants.
Turkish international, Cengiz Ünder is set to return to action.
After being sidelined due to an early-game injury against Antalyaspor in the domestic league, the 26-year-old made a triumphant comeback in matches against Hatayspor and Ludogorets.
His presence in the squad for the Ludogorets match is at the discretion of Kartal.
In this challenging scenario, a silver lining emerges for 19-year-old Yusuf Akçiçek.
A stalwart in Fenerbahçe's U-19 team, he is now presented with a golden opportunity to make his mark in the first team as a center back.
With the lack of available center back options due to injuries and absences, the young defender may find himself thrust into the spotlight, potentially joining the ranks of Jayden Oosterwolde, Ismail Yüksek and Miguel Crespo in crucial positions.
Eagle's nest
Meanwhile, across the footballing landscape, Beşiktaş find themselves facing their own uphill battle in the UEFA Europa Conference League's D Group.
On Thursday, they welcome the Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt to the Tüpraş Stadium in a must-win encounter.
Having lost 3-1 in the away fixture in Norway, Beşiktaş are still in search of their first victory in the group stage.
Beşiktaş's campaign got off to a slow start, with a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge and a dramatic 3-2 loss to Lugano despite being 2-0 ahead.
As they enter the fourth week of matches, they find themselves at the bottom of the group with just a single point.
On a brighter note, Vincent Aboubakar, who missed recent games due to illness, is expected to make a triumphant return for Beşiktaş.
The Cameroonian striker, a goal-scoring machine, has the potential to write his name in the club's chronicles.
With just one more goal, he can equal the record of Oktay Derelioğlu as Beşiktaş's all-time leading scorer in European competitions.