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Samsunspor concluded its UEFA Europa Conference League matchday on Thursday with a 2-0 defeat away to Germany’s Mainz 05, falling to 12th in the standings and missing out on direct qualification for the round of 16.
Despite entering the final two matchdays at the top of the 36-team standings, the Turkish side failed to secure points in either game and will now compete in a two-legged playoff to reach the knockout stage.
The match at Mainz Arena saw the home team take the lead just before halftime with a goal from Silvan Widmer in the 44th minute. Nadiem Amiri doubled the advantage with a penalty early in the second half. The result marked Samsunspor’s third consecutive game without a win and its second straight loss in the competition.
Samsunspor had made an impressive start to its European journey, collecting 10 points from its first four matches. The team opened with a 1-0 win at Polish club Legia Warsaw, followed by commanding 3-0 victories over both Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv and Malta’s Hamrun Spartans.
A 2-2 draw against Icelandic side Breidablik kept the momentum alive, but consecutive losses to AEK Athens and Mainz saw the club slide down the table.
The late drop in form proved costly, as only the top eight teams in the league phase automatically advance to the round of 16. Samsunspor’s 10-point tally left it outside that threshold.
With a 12th-place finish, Samsunspor remains in the competition but must now navigate the knockout round playoffs.
The draw for the playoff fixtures is expected in the coming days, determining Samsunspor’s next European opponent.
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