Uefa Conference League third qualifying round, second leg: Besiktas (4) v St Patrick’s Athletic (1), Tupras Stadium, Istanbul, 7pm Irish time
Nobody can convince St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Barry Baggley that a European night in Istanbul on the home turf of Besiktas does not matter.
“Look, if we’re being honest, I don’t think anyone thinks we’re going to go out and score three goals away to Besiktas,” Baggley said.
“But we’re going out to do all we can to get something from the game.
“You don’t want to go out and take a battering in any game.
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“We don’t want to concede a couple of early goals and then we’re up against it for the whole game.
“I think the first half [last week] we probably let them in too easily. In the first half of this game we’re going to try and keep it a lot tighter and make it difficult for them. Hopefully get a few chances ourselves.”
In last week’s first-leg, Besiktas led 4-0 by the turn at Tallaght Stadium following a hat-trick from former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.
An immediate example for St Pat’s is how Shelbourne manager Joey O’Brien rested some key players before a recent dead rubber in Baku, after losing 3-0 to Qarabag in the Europa League first leg, and somehow motivated the team to a professional 1-0 loss. That performance spring-boarded Shels into a notable 2-1 victory over Rijeka in Croatia last week.
St Pat’s welcome Shelbourne to Richmond Park this Sunday for the FAI Cup last-16 tie that should have a substantial impact on whether either club’s season is considered a success or failure.
Stephen Kenny’s side were unlucky to draw the Turkish club that belongs at a higher level of European football, having featured in the Europa League group stage last season and Champions League in 2022, but for Baggley it is another opportunity to play against international calibre opposition.
“They are definitely up there. I have played against France and Spain internationally with the [Northern Ireland] under-21s, but they are right up there, the best I have played against,” he said.
“When you go up that level, the touch is quicker, the physicality. They are just bigger and stronger and faster than what we are used to playing against. That’s what makes them such good players and that’s why they are at this level.”
