August 1, 2026 Football News: Besiktas Advances, Basaksehir Out, Muriqi Injury Update

The first day of August brought a mix of joy and disappointment for Turkish football, shaped largely by the results of European qualifying rounds. Here are today's leading headlines.

Besiktas Advances in the Europa League

Besiktas beat Danish side Midtjylland 2-0 away in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, sealing a 3-0 aggregate win. Milot Rashica and a penalty from Orkun Kokcu scored the goals in the second half. Speaking after the tie, Rashica said the squad was fully aware of what the coaching staff expected from them. Besiktas will now face Czech side Hradec Kralove in the third qualifying round, with the first leg away on August 6 and the return leg in Istanbul on August 13. The result marks another important step for the Black Eagles on their path toward the league phase.

Basaksehir Eliminated from the Conference League, Nuri Sahin: "We Didn't Deserve to Advance"

Joy was reserved for Besiktas alone this week. Basaksehir fell 2-0 away to Finnish club Inter Turku in the second leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, exiting the competition early. Speaking afterward, head coach Nuri Sahin offered a blunt self-assessment: "We are experiencing a huge disappointment, everyone in the dressing room is devastated. Our opponents deserved this win — it wasn't a lucky result or a deflected goal, they earned it." Sahin added that the absence of injured Olivier Kemen wasn't the sole reason for the defeat, noting the team never reached its expected level throughout the match. Attention at Basaksehir now shifts fully to Super Lig preparations.

Good News for Fenerbahce as Vedat Muriqi Nears Return

The most encouraging news for Fenerbahce fans came from striker Vedat Muriqi's recovery update. The Kosovan forward, who suffered a partial calf tear during preseason training in late June, has reportedly overcome much of his injury and is close to completing his individual training program. The coaching staff is said to be planning to assess his fitness for the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round ties against Sturm Graz. Fenerbahce will host the first leg of this crucial Champions League tie on Wednesday, August 5, before traveling to Austria for the return leg on Tuesday, August 11. Club sources indicate that dedicated preparations for the Sturm Graz fixture have already gotten underway this week.

Second Qualifying Round Wraps Up Across Europe

With all second-leg matches in the UEFA Europa League's second qualifying round now completed, the list of teams advancing has been finalized. Alongside Besiktas, sides such as Maccabi Tel Aviv, Pafos, PAOK, Anderlecht, Ferencvaros, Benfica, and CSKA Sofia all booked their places in the next round. One notable result saw CSKA Sofia advance on penalties, 5-4, after playing out a second consecutive goalless draw against their opponents. These results signal that the pace of Europe's continental competitions will only intensify as August progresses.

Today's agenda may change throughout the day; please follow official announcements.