Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe will take on Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round Wednesday.
A win in the match will set the Süper Lig runner-up on course to end its nearly 15-year wait for European top-tier football.
The match will also be Fenerbahçe’s first official test under new coach Jorge Jesus, who succeeded interim manager Ismail Kartal in June.
The Yellow Canaries had an encouraging preseason campaign under Jesus, winning five out of six matches against different opponents while drawing one.
In the last match prior to Wednesday’s clash, Fenerbahçe beat English Championship side Hull city 2-0 on July 10.
Dynamo Kyiv from war-ravaged Ukraine, on the other hand, lost its last preseason match 2-1 against Belgium’s Antwerp.
At Fenerbahçe, all eyes will be on its 17-year-old wunderkind Arda Güler. The midfielder has been in tremendous form in the preseason matches and scored a spectacular free kick that triggered his side’s victory over Hull.
However, the Istanbul giant will be without several players, including injured Nazım Sangare, Luiz Gustavo, Mauricio Lemos, Marcel Tisserand, Max Meyer, Mbwana Samatta and Steven Caulker.
South Korean defender Kim Min-jae, who is being pursued by a number of European clubs, including Rennes and Napoli, has also been left out of the preliminary squad.
The first-leg match between Fenerbahçe and Kyiv has been moved to Lodz, Poland, due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The match at the Miejski Stadium will kick off at 9 p.m. (6 p.m. GMT) and will be officiated by Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg.
The return leg of the match will be played on July 27 at 8 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) at Istanbul’s Ülker Stadium.
If Fenerbahçe wins the two legs against Kyiv, it will face Austria's Sturm Graz in the Champions League third qualifying round.
However, in case of a defeat, it will take on Czech Republic's Slovacko in the Europa League third qualifying round, as per draws held in Nyon, Switzerland earlier Monday.
A Champions League third qualifying or playoff round exit will guarantee Fenerbahçe a place in the Europa League group stages.
The Istanbul-based team also has the likelihood of ending up in the third-tier Europa Conference League, if it is eliminated in the Europa League third qualifying round. It will in that case move to the UEFA Conference League playoffs round.
The first legs of the Champions League third qualifying round will be played on Aug. 2-3 and the return legs will be on Aug. 9.
The two legs of the Europa League third qualifying round are scheduled for Aug. 4 and Aug. 11.
Altay Bayındır, Ertuğrul Çetin, Serdar Aziz, Filip Novak, Attila Szalai, Willian Arao, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Mert Hakan Yandaş, Diego Rossi, Enner Valencia, Dimitris Pelkas, Joshua King, Lincoln Henrique, İrfan Can Kahveci, Bruma, Arda Güler, Miha Zajc, Miguel Crespo, Burak Kapacak, İsmail Yüksek, Emre Mor, Mergim Berisha, Serdar Dursun, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Muhammed Gümüşkaya.
