Karabük, Trabzon in crucial European ties

ISTANBUL

Kardemir Karabükspor’s Congolese captain Larrys Mabiala (R) passes the ball while being marked by a Saint-Etienne player during thefirst leg game. AA Photo

Two Turkish teams, Kardemir Karabükspor and Trabzonspor, hope to protect their advantages and cruise to the Europa League group stages tonight.

Kardemir Karabükspor plays against Saint-Etienne and Trabzonspor meets Rostov in the UEFA Europa League playoff second leg tonight.

Karabükspor managed a slender, one-goal victory over French opponents 1-0 at home, while Trabzonspor beat the Russian side 2-0 in the first leg.

Karabük was inserted into the Europa League qualifiers only after Sivasspor and Eskişehirspor were barred from the competition due to their alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Midfielder Samba Sow said: “We will play under huge fan pressure. But we want to protect our advantage and advance.”

The Rostov vs. Trabzon game starts at 8 p.m. while the Saint-Etienne vs. Karabük clash kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Turkish time.