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Istanbul Basaksehir bid farewell to the UEFA Conference League after losing 3-1 to Romanian side Universitatea Craiova in the second leg of the play-off round on Thursday.
At Ion Oblemenco Stadium, the home team struck early through Alexandru Cicaldau in the 9th minute. Stefan Baiaram doubled the lead in the 27th, and Steven Nsimba sealed the result with an 81st-minute strike.
Basaksehir’s only goal came from German striker Davie Selke, who scored in the 9th minute with a header from a Christopher Operi corner.
Having also lost the first leg 2-1 in Istanbul, Basaksehir ended its European journey, while Universitatea Craiova advanced to the league phase of the Conference League.
The loss marked Basaksehir’s second defeat in its seventh match of the 2025-26 season. The orange-and-navy team has played six games in the Conference League and one in the Trendyol Super Lig, recording three wins, two draws, and two losses — both against Craiova in the play-off round.
Across these fixtures, Basaksehir scored 12 goals and conceded 8.
Selke, a summer signing, scored his third goal for the Istanbul club. He previously found the net twice in earlier European qualifiers and added to his tally with Thursday’s header.
Cicaldau once again punished Basaksehir after also scoring in the first leg. The Romanian midfielder, who previously played in Türkiye for Galatasaray and Konyaspor, equalized in the 9th minute just moments after Selke’s opener.
Basaksehir’s Ivorian defender Christopher Operi was sent off late in the match. In the 80th minute, he protested a referee’s decision and was shown a yellow card. When he continued his dissent, German referee Daniel Schlager issued a second yellow, followed by a red card.
After Nsimba’s third goal for Craiova in the 81st minute, tensions flared between the benches of both teams. Officials intervened as a quarrel broke out along the sidelines.
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With the play-off round now completed, 23 teams secured their place in the league phase of Europe’s third-tier tournament.
Alongside Craiova, advancing sides include Noah, Crystal Palace, Omonoia, Hamrun Spartans, Rapid Wien, Lausanne, AZ Alkmaar, Hacken, Drita, Strasbourg, AEK, Celje, Rakow, Fiorentina, Rayo Vallecano, Shelbourne, Jagiellonia, Breidablik, Shakhtar Donetsk, Legia Warsaw, Shamrock Rovers, and Mainz 05.
Besiktas also exited Europe on Thursday after losing 1-0 at home to Lausanne, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
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