Sevilla denies Basaksehir Champions League entry
Spanish outfit Sevilla eliminated Istanbul Basaksehir from entering the Champions League this season after beating them 4-3 on aggregate over two qualifying matches.
Sevilla suffered a fright, going 1-0 down at home to Istanbul Basaksehir, before drawing 2-2 to win 4-3 on aggregate in one of Tuesday's five UEFA Champions League play-off ties.
But the Istanbul team will still be playing European football after making the draw for the UEFA Europa League.
Basaksehir midfielder Emre Belozoglu's 90th minute free-kick came off the woodwork, costing the club what could have been a memorable victory at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Spain.
Basaksehir started the match at a fast pace, finding the net in the 17th minute after Dutch winger Eljero Elia slid in Junior Caicara's low ball.
The second half was to be a different story, as Sevilla equalised and gained the upper hand when Sergio Escuredo brushed aside his marker to score a header in the 52nd minute.
The La Liga side then took a commanding lead in the 75th minute with Wissam Ben Yedder's low driven shot beating Basaksehir goalkeeper Volkan Babacan after a counterattack.
Basaksehir increased their tempo in the last 10 minutes before Edin Visca restored the Istanbul club's morale when he crashed home a powerful shot in the 82nd minute.
But Basaksehir’s last-minute heroics were not enough as Sevilla managed to salvage a 2-2 and move on to the group stages.
Qualifying Play-off Results (Tuesday)
FC Astana 4 Celtic 3 (Agg 4-8)
HNK Rijekan 0 Olympiakos 1 (Agg 1-3)
NK Maribor 1 Hapoel Be'er Sheva 0 (Agg 2-2) NK Maribor win on away goals
Nice 0 Napoli 2 (Agg 0-4)
Sevilla 2 Istanbul Basaksehir 2 (Agg 4-3)
Qualifying Play-off Fixtures (Wednesday)
Liverpool v Hoffenheim (Agg 2-1)
CSKA v Young Boys (Agg 1-0)
FC Copenhagen v FK Qarabag (Agg 0-1)
Steaua Bucharest v Sporting (Agg 0-0)
Slavia Prague v Apoel Nic (Agg 0-2)