Continuing their first Champions League campaign with Jose Mourinho, Turkish giants Fenerbahce visit Ligue 1 side Lille on Tuesday, as they kick off their third round qualifying tie at Stade du Hainaut.
Both under new management this season, the two clubs will vie for a place in the playoff round, with entry to the lucrative group stage the ultimate prize.
Match preview
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By beating Nice to France's final Champions League spot last term, former Lille boss Paulo Fonseca left a parting gift that has been gratefully received by new head coach Bruno Genesio.
When Fonseca left for AC Milan, the Lille board brought in the ex-Lyon and Rennes manager, and he will now oversee LOSC's qualification for Europe's top club competition.
Entering at the third-round stage, only two steps separate them from the new-look group phase, and they have warmed up for the task by playing a series of summer friendlies.
Lille had both won and drawn twice before losing to Wolfsburg and then beating Celta Vigo 3-1 at the end of last month, but now they must step up a gear in their first competitive fixture, against dangerous opposition.
Across five Europa Conference League contests at Stade Pierre-Mauroy last season, Les Dogues were unbeaten - though they ultimately exited UEFA's third-tier tournament in the quarter-finals - but due to the Olympics they now host Tuesday's first leg in Valenciennes.
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After failing to beat Lille over two games in the 2010-11 Europa League, Fenerbahce will return to France intent on putting themselves in good shape to progress after next week's second leg in Turkey.
Fener finished runners-up in the Super Lig last season, which was not enough to satisfy the club's hierarchy, so Jose Mourinho was lured to Istanbul with the aim of winning some trophies.
Mourinho will be desperate to take his new team into the Champions League proper and wrestle the Turkish title away from city rivals Galatasaray, who they lost out to in 2023-24 despite posting 99 points and losing just once.
Like Lille, Fener also lost in last term's Conference League quarter-finals - in their case, to eventual winners Olympiacos - but they began this year's European campaign in spectacular style.
In their opening Champions League qualifier, Mourinho's men beat Swiss side Lugano 6-4 on aggregate: after a 4-3 away victory in the first leg, which featured an Edin Dzeko hat-trick, they ran out 2-1 winners one week later.
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Team News
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Despite being linked with a move away this summer, Canada striker Jonathan David remains with Lille for now, and after featuring as a substitute in the recent game against Celta Vigo, he could start on Tuesday evening.
After spending last term on loan at Le Havre, Mohamed Bayo is back in the fold and will be another contender to lead the hosts' attack, having scored in LOSC's final friendly.
Both star centre-back Leny Yoro and Lille's top scorer in last season's Conference League, Yusuf Yazici, have now left the club; Thomas Meunier has joined after a spell in Turkey with Trabzonspor and should start at right back.
Meanwhile, the leader of Fenerbahce's front line is seasoned campaigner Edin Dzeko, who already has four goals from two games in this year's Champions League qualifiers.
Bolstering a strong squad, Jose Mourinho has brought in Allan Saint-Maximin on loan, in addition to Caglar Soyuncu, Rade Krunic and ex-Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
Soyuncu is set to start in a back four, with Krunic joining Fred and Sebastian Szymanski in midfield and veteran schemer Dusan Tadic supplying Dzeko's ammunition.
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Santos, Gomes, Cabella, Andre, Haraldsson; David
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Osayi-Samuel, Djiku, Soyuncu, Oosterwolde; Fred, Krunic; Tadic, Szymanski, Kadioglu; Dzeko
We say: Lille 2-2 Fenerbahce
Fener may be able to catch Lille out early on, as the hosts have had no competitive action yet and will take time to get up to full speed. With both sides boasting plenty of European nous and attacking flair, a few goals should be expected in this first leg.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
