BeÅŸiktaÅŸ expects little trouble as it takes on Vikingur of the Faroe Islands on Thursday in the return match of the second qualifying round in the Europa League.
The Turkcell Super League team beat the minnow northern side 3-0 last Thursday at its own Ä°nönü Stadium in Istanbul in a match that could have ended in a wider margin of victory.
The Black Eagles missed a penalty kick by Ricardo Quaresma and had more than 30 shots compared to only two by Vikingur.
A double by veteran striker Nihat Kahveci, along with a late header by Mert Nobre, left BeÅŸiktaÅŸ feeling reasonably assured of qualifying after the match in the North Atlantic.
Vikingur has a short history of only two years, after the merging of two sides GI Gota and Leirvik IF, both teams of villages with a combined population of 2,000.
All players from the Faroe Islands qualifier play football on an amateur level and have daytime jobs.
Despite the 3-0 loss, their fair-play attitude and devoted performance drew praise from the BeÅŸiktaÅŸ fans, who stood for an ovation and chanted “Vikingur” after the final whistle on Thursday.
If BeÅŸiktaÅŸ knocks Vikingur out of the competition, it will take on Czech Republic side Plzen in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.
The game at the Toftir Stadium will kick off at Thursday at 9 p.m. Turkish time.
