Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In the first leg of the UEFA Conference League playoff, İstanbul Başakşehir suffered a 1:2 defeat against Romanian club CS Universitatea Craiova.

Uzbek players Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev featured for the Turkish side: Shomurodov played the full 90 minutes, while Fayzullaev came on as a substitute in the 77th minute.

The match took place on 21 August 2025 at Fatih Terim Stadium in Istanbul.

The Romanian club opened the scoring in stoppage time of the first half (45+2’) with a goal from Alexandru Chikaldu. In the second half, Craiova doubled their lead through Carlos Mora in the 61st minute. Başakşehir managed to reduce the deficit only in the 87th minute, with Festi Ebosele scoring, but time ran out for an equalizer.

Shomurodov was actively involved in the team’s attacking plays, including a dangerous header that was blocked and earning a free kick in the attacking half, but his efforts could not be converted into goals.

Fayzullaev, entering in the second half of the second half, participated in an attacking combination that ended with an inaccurate shot from a teammate, showing his potential but without impacting the final result.

The return leg will take place on 28 August 2025 at Ion Oblemenco Stadium in Craiova.