Beşiktaş will aim to close out their UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie when they host Ireland’s St Patrick’s Athletic at Tupraş Stadium on Thursday.
The Black Eagles hold a commanding 4-1 advantage from last week’s first leg in Dublin and will be looking to cement their place in the playoff round.
The Turkish side, having dropped into the Conference League after an early Europa League exit against Shakhtar Donetsk, showed their European pedigree in Ireland.
Joao Mario opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, and loan signing Tammy Abraham stole the show with a first-half hat-trick, snapping a four-game losing streak that had included pre-season defeats to Wolfsberger and Petrzalka.
Beşiktaş, led by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, have enjoyed a full week of rest and preparation thanks to the Turkish Football Federation postponing their league opener to accommodate European fixtures. Despite a recent 4-2 home defeat to Shakhtar, their healthy aggregate lead leaves them firmly in control.
St Patrick’s, meanwhile, will face a daunting task in Istanbul.
Simon Power’s second-half strike in Dublin offered a glimmer of hope, but the Saints never built momentum, leaving them with an uphill battle.
Stephen Kenny’s squad, which had been unbeaten in eight before the Dublin defeat, bounced back domestically with a 3-0 league win over Sligo Rovers, currently sitting sixth in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
For Beşiktaş, Abraham is expected to spearhead the attack and continue his scoring spree.
St Patrick’s will also be missing midfielder Romal Palmer, still recovering from a hamstring injury. Power, along with Mason Melia and Jake Mulraney, will lead the Irish attack in search of a European upset.
The Turkish side’s advantage is significant: any win, draw, or even a narrow two-goal loss would see them through to the playoff round, while a four-goal defeat would end their European journey.
Should Beşiktaş advance, they are set to face the winner of the Astana-Lausanne tie, with the playoffs scheduled for Aug. 21 and 28.
Referee Antonio Nobre of Portugal will oversee Thursday’s clash at 21:00 local time, with Beşiktaş seeking to finish the job on home soil and extend their European ambitions.
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