UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round: Başakşehir - Viking

In the 2025–26 UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, İstanbul Başakşehir faced Viking FK, the representative of Norway. The two-legged tie saw the first leg played in Stavanger, Norway, and the return leg held in Istanbul. Following an away win and a home draw, Başakşehir advanced to the play-off round with a 4–2 aggregate score.

First Leg: Viking FK 1 – 3 İstanbul Başakşehir

Date and Venue: 7 August 2025, Viking Stadion – Stavanger, Norway.

Referees: Miguel Nogueira (Portugal).

Pre-Match

İstanbul Başakşehir advanced to the third qualifying round after eliminating Cherno More in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they were drawn against Viking FK, the leaders of the Norwegian league. Viking FK were known for their strong home performances in their domestic league, while Başakşehir aimed to leverage their experience in European competitions. Ahead of the match, head coach Çağdaş Atan instructed his players to remain patient and focus on countering the opponent’s physical strength with tactical discipline.

Lineups

Viking FK

Klaesson, S. F. Bjørshol (62' K. Haugen), Roseth, Baertelsen, K. Askildsen (67' S. Kvia-Egeskog), Bell, Tripic, S. Svendsen (80' N. D’Agostino), V. Berisha (62' E. Austbø), R. Alte (80' J. S. Hansen), K. Haugen.

İstanbul Başakşehir

M. Şengezer, O. Bulut, Duarte, O. Ba, C. Operi (79' U. Güneş), B. A. Özdemir, Ö. A. Şahiner (60' D. Türüç – D. Türüç replaced Y. Sarı in the 17th minute), M. Crespo (78' Ö. F. Beyaz), Y. Sarı (17' D. Türüç), N. Da Costa (59' D. Selke), E. Shomurodov (59' I. Brnic).

First Leg: Viking FK – İstanbul Başakşehir (AA)

Match Summary

The home side took an early lead in the second minute. After a poor pass from Christopher Operi in his own half, Berisha intercepted the ball on the right flank and drove it into the penalty area. Duarte attempted to clear the ball but it struck Svendsen and found the net. Following the goal, Viking FK controlled the tempo of the game. In the 31st minute, a mispass from Muhammed Şengezer allowed Bell to approach the goal. Bell’s shot was blocked on the goal line by Ba, preventing a second goal. In the 40th minute, Tripic’s powerful shot from outside the box was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Şengezer, as Başakşehir faced several dangerous moments in this period.

During the first half, national team player Yusuf Sarí was forced to leave the match in the 17th minute due to illness and was replaced by Deniz Türüç. Başakşehir came out stronger in the second half. In the 60th minute, after a pass from Ömer Ali on the right flank, Deniz Türüç controlled the ball, entered the penalty area, adjusted his angle and fired a shot to equalize. This goal marked Türüç’s seventh in European competitions.

In the 79th minute, Christopher Operi gave Başakşehir the lead with a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area. The Ivorian striker scored his second goal of the season. In the 90+4th minute, Davie Selke capitalized on a long pass from Operi in his own half, slipped behind the defense, rounded the goalkeeper and finished with a precise diagonal shot to make it 3–1. This was Selke’s first goal for Başakşehir. The match ended 3–1, giving İstanbul Başakşehir a crucial advantage heading into the return leg.

First Leg: Viking FK – İstanbul Başakşehir (AA)

Coach and Player Statements

After the match, Çağdaş Atan highlighted the challenges of playing on artificial turf, noting that Brnic and Da Costa had created clear scoring opportunities in the first half and that Ba’s goal-line clearance had kept the team in the game. He added that introducing physically strong players in the second half turned the match around and demonstrated the team’s courage and determination. Operi, in his post-match comments, stated that they played under difficult conditions and that winning in such an atmosphere was highly valuable.

Second Leg: İstanbul Başakşehir 1 – 1 Viking FK

Date and Venue: 13 August 2025, Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium – Istanbul, Türkiye.

Referees: Milos Milanovic (Serbia).

Pre-Match

İstanbul Başakşehir, having secured a 3–1 advantage from the first leg, entered the return leg without any injured or suspended players. Viking FK traveled to Istanbul with the objective of scoring away goals to overturn the deficit, adopting an aggressive pressing and rapid counter-attacking strategy under their coaching staff.

Lineups

İstanbul Başakşehir

Muhammed Şengezer, Onur Bulut, Duarte, Ba, Operi, Berat Özdemir, Deniz Türüç (88' Ebosele), Crespo (89' Hamza Güreler), Ömer Beyaz (65' Umut Güneş), Shomurodov (83' Yusuf Sarı), Selke (66' Da Costa).

Viking FK

Klaesson, Heggheim (44' Herman Haugen), Falchener (78' D’Agostino), Roseth, Bjorshol (68' Kristoffer Haugen), Bell, Baertelsen, Askildsen (68' Kvista-Egeskog), Svendsen (68' Christiansen), Tripic, Berisha.

Second Leg: İstanbul Başakşehir – Viking FK (AA)

Match Summary

Başakşehir started strongly and in the 11th minute, Shomurodov drove the ball into the penalty area from the left flank. His pass found Ömer Beyaz, but goalkeeper Klaesson denied the shot. In the 34th minute, a Viking attack from the right flank saw Tripic’s cross strike the far post and deflect off Onur Bulut into the net, giving the visitors the lead. Başakşehir responded in the 40th minute. Selke received a one-touch pass from Berat Özdemir, combined with Shomurodov, entered the penalty area and fired a precise diagonal shot into the net.

In the second half, Başakşehir dominated possession and Viking FK’s efforts to equalize on aggregate proved fruitless. The match ended 1–1, and with a 4–2 aggregate score, İstanbul Başakşehir advanced to the play-off round. Selke’s goal in this match was recorded as the club’s 100th goal in European competitions.

Second Leg: İstanbul Başakşehir – Viking FK (AA)

Coach and Player Statements

After the match, Çağdaş Atan emphasized the difficulty of the tie, noting that despite an unfortunate goal conceded in the first half, the team responded quickly and avoided giving the opponent clear scoring chances to progress. He stated that a strong opponent awaited in the play-off round, particularly highlighting Universitatea Craiova as a likely contender. Nuno da Costa remarked that facing the league leaders of Norway was a significant challenge and that advancing past this stage was crucial. Selke said that scoring in both legs was personally valuable to him.