Turkey’s “Istanbul Başakşehir” club, which has added Uzbekistan national team players — Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev — to its roster, continues its UEFA Conference League campaign with confidence. The team concluded this round of the tournament with another victory.
Let us recall that in the second qualifying round, the Istanbul side defeated Bulgaria’s “Cherno More” over two legs (1:0 and 4:0) and secured a place in the next stage. Now, their next opponent was Norway’s “Viking”.
A difficult start — ended in victory
The first leg, played on the opponent’s ground, did not start easily for the Turks. The “Viking” team capitalized on a defensive error by “Başakşehir” in the opening minutes and scored the first goal.
For nearly an hour, Çağdaş Atan’s players tried to equalize, but their efforts were in vain. To make a decisive change, the head coach brought on German striker Davie Selke and Uzbekistan forward Eldor Shomurodov from the bench.
These substitutions paid off — in the closing minutes of the away match, “Başakşehir” scored three consecutive goals and turned the loss into a solid victory — 3:1.
Çağdaş Atan: “Courage and teamwork brought us the win”
During the post-match press conference, “Başakşehir” coach Çağdaş Atan made the following remarks:
— Playing on synthetic turf in such an environment was very difficult. In the first half, our team tried to maintain the tempo. We had several good chances to score, but missed opportunities by Brnich and Da Costa prevented us from converting them.
According to him, the team began the second half rather passively. However, they defended well in set-piece situations.
— We tried to turn the game around by bringing on physically strong players — Selke and Shomurodov. Later, Umar Faruk and Umut also joined them. Denis Türüç, who had come on in the first half, managed to equalize the score.
— Today the team played in complete harmony. Our main weapon was courage. Even after the mistake, we stayed on the pitch with determination and fought for the win until the end, — said the 45-year-old specialist.
Experience and advantage before the return leg
Atan noted that the return leg will also be tough. However, the team aims to maintain the advantage and move on to the next round.
— It’s not over yet. A very challenging match awaits us. But we’ve gained the upper hand. We want to achieve a positive result in the return game as well and reach the next stage.
European clubs are now eagerly awaiting Conference League matches. The tournament is becoming more difficult. We must move forward, even slowly. Our goals are very serious, — said the 45-year-old coach.
Fortunately, in the upcoming rounds, the newly joined Abbosbek Fayzullaev will also be able to help “Başakşehir” fully. His skill and agility are expected to give the team an extra boost.
Conclusion: “Başakşehir” is aiming for serious goals
Starting the new season in Europe with a strong squad and firm spirit, “Başakşehir” is increasingly recognized as a team that focuses both on results and quality football. If all players maintain this drive, the Turkish club is expected to have more bright performances in the UEFA Conference League.
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