Solskjaer-led Beşiktaş to square off against St. Patrick's Athletic in Conference League contest
Besiktas, the Turkish football powerhouse, is set to make history as they face Irish side St. Patrick's Athletic in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. This will be the Black Eagles' first encounter with an Irish club in UEFA competitions.
Thursday's fixture, set to kick off at 9:45 p.m. (GMT +3) at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, marks a significant milestone for both teams. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the head coach of Besiktas, expressed his team's determination to win, stating that they are prepared for a challenging match and will give their best.
Besiktas has a rich European history, with three quarterfinal appearances in the 1986-87 European Cup, the 2002-03 UEFA Cup, and the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. However, their history in the UEFA Conference League is relatively recent and limited, as the competition itself is new, being only in its fifth season in 2025–26.
Despite this, the Black Eagles have shown moderate success in the Conference League, having won seven and drawn one of their 12 matches so far, with a goal difference of 21-19. Emirhan Topcu, a player on the Besiktas squad, echoed Solskjaer's sentiments, stating that they came to win the match.
However, Besiktas will be without several key players due to injuries and UEFA-ineligibility. Mustafa Hekimoglu, Can Keles, and Felix Uduokhai missed the training session, while Jean Onana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Emrecan Uzunhan, and others were absent for other reasons. Despite these absences, Solskjaer noted that the players showed a strong reaction during the week's training.
St. Patrick's Athletic, on the other hand, have some recent European experience under their belts. They previously met Türkiye's Basaksehir in the 2024-2025 playoff round. The referee for the match will be Slovenian official David Smajc.
Solskjaer expressed respect for the Irish opponent and acknowledged that there are no easy wins. He singled out St. Patrick's forward Mason Melia, at this level and at his age, as a top player. The probable lineups for the match are: St. Patrick's: Anang; Grivosti, McClelland, McLaughlin, Redmond; Lennon, Leavy, Mulraney, Power; Baggley, Melia. Besiktas: Mert; Svensson, Paulista, Necip Uysal, Emirhan Topcu, Demir Ege Tiknaz, Kartal Kayra, Joao Mario, Rafa Silva, Muci, Abraham.
Among the current squad, Rafa Silva has three goals, Milot Rashica, Salih Ucan, and Joao Mario each have two, while Al-Musrati, Emrecan Terzi, Ernest Muci, Tayfur Bingol, Necip Uysal, and Tammy Abraham have each scored once.
As Besiktas steps onto the field in Dublin, they will be aiming to write a new chapter in their European history, one that could potentially see them advance deeper into the Conference League than they have before.
Football fans across Turkiye and beyond eagerly anticipate the Turkish sports spectacle unfolding in Istanbul, as Besiktas, clad in their traditional Turkish jerseys, take on St. Patrick's Athletic in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. With game time set for the late hours of Istanbul, supporters will remain glued to their screens until the final whistle.
