As Turkish Süper Lig side Başakşehir gear up to host St. Patrick’s Athletic on Wednesday in the UEFA Conference League playoff second leg, the Istanbul-based club will mark its 56th European match – a significant milestone in their continental journey.
So far, the Orange-Navy team has seen mixed results in their 55 European outings, securing 21 wins, drawing 13 times and suffering 21 defeats.
Despite this rollercoaster, they have managed to find the back of the net 80 times, though their defense has conceded 76 goals.
Under the stewardship of head coach Çağdaş Atan, Başakşehir are set to tackle their sixth European fixture.
Atan’s tenure has been a promising one, with his side winning their first four European matches before settling for a draw in the most recent outing.
Impressively, during these five matches, the team has scored 13 goals while only allowing one.
Atan’s European campaign began with a bang, as Başakşehir dismantled San Marino’s La Fiorita with a 6-1 victory at home, followed by a 4-0 win on the road.
The momentum continued in Georgia, where they defeated Iberia Tbilisi 1-0 away and 2-0 at home.
However, their latest challenge against St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland ended in a goalless draw.
The upcoming clash will also see Başakşehir play their 28th home match in European competitions.
In their previous 27 home games, they have claimed 12 victories, drawn seven times and lost eight matches.
The team has been formidable in attack, scoring 43 goals at home, but has conceded 29.
Among the standout performers in European competitions for Başakşehir is Edin Visca, now with Trabzonspor, who remains the club’s top European scorer with 14 goals.
Following him, Stefano Okaka and Danijel Aleksic have each netted six times in Europe.
Irfan Can Kahveci follows closely with five goals, while Krzysztof Piatek and Berkay Özcan have scored four apiece.
Not to be overlooked, Deniz Türüç, Enzo Crivelli, Eljero Elia, Emre Belözoğlu, Serdar Gürler and Youssouf Ndayishimiye have all chipped in with three goals each, and several others have contributed to the team’s European tally.
Başakşehir’s European story began in the 2015-2016 season, when they faced AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round but were eliminated after losing 2-0 away and 2-1 at home.
The following season, they broke new ground by advancing past Croatian side Rijeka in the third qualifying round, thanks to a goalless draw at home and a 2-2 draw on the road.
Their first taste of victory in European competition came in the 2017-2018 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, where they drew 3-3 with Club Brugge in Belgium before winning 2-0 in Istanbul.
This win was a landmark moment as it secured their first-ever European triumph.
The 2019-2020 season saw Başakşehir achieve another historic feat, reaching the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League after a dramatic victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany.
They further advanced to the last 16 after defeating Sporting Lisbon.
In the 2020-2021 season, Başakşehir made their debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Their first win and first goal in the competition came in a memorable 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
İrfan Can Kahveci etched his name in the history books by becoming the first Başakşehir player to score a hat trick in the Champions League during a 3-4 loss to RB Leipzig.
In the 2022-2023 UEFA Conference League, Başakşehir continued their European journey, starting with a 1-1 draw against Maccabi Netanya.
They progressed to the last 16 before being eliminated by Gent.
This season, Başakşehir set a new benchmark with a commanding 6-1 win over La Fiorita in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, marking their biggest victory in European competition to date.
