The game remains open as Süper Lig reigning champions Trabzonspor journey to Switzerland to finish what they began last week when they secured a narrow 1-0 win in an emotion-packed UEFA Europa Conference League match in Türkiye.
Despite carrying an advantage ahead of the second leg tie, there is everything to be played for if the Black Sea Storm wishes to advance to the next round.
In the first leg, a somber pall descended on the match, as the host nation was still deeply grieving the devastation brought on by the catastrophic twin earthquakes dubbed the "disaster of the century," leaving many of Türkiye's southeastern provinces reduced to rubble.
Not quite out of the woods yet, Thursday's match in a more tranquil environment is all the more significant for the impending result.
As Galatasaray made history by becoming the first Turkish team to secure a European title in 2000, Trabzonspor is determined to emulate the feat and salvage local football's pride while in the process consolation after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake wreaked havoc on the local sports arena.
With the hopes of bringing a silver lining to the dark cloud of destruction, Trabzonspor set out to break the jinx and make history in their own right.
In the reverse leg at the Şenol Güneş stadium, Danish midfielder Jens Stryger Larsen provided the Black Sea Storm with the edge they so desperately needed, and the Süper Lig giants are now looking to firmly put the game to bed, even away from home.
Besides striving to bring home the first European silverware in their history, Trabzonspor will be on a mission to break their terrible record on the road, having gone 1,281 days without an away win.
The Black Sea Storm, who earned a resounding 3-1 victory over Greek powerhouse AEK in the UEFA Europa League play-off round on 22 August 2019, has been unfortunate in their travels since then, failing to replicate the success of their last away win in European cups.
The dismal away record stands at eight defeats and only one draw in nine matches played, painting a bleak picture for the team.
Trabzonspor endured a dismal campaign under coach Abdullah Avcı, having registered five losses and one draw away from home.
Playing six away matches in Europe under manager Avcı, the Black Sea side achieved a 1-1 draw against Norway's Molde in the UEFA Conference League qualifying round.
Unfortunately, the team succumbed to a 3-0 defeat in the play-off round against the Italian club, Roma.
Trabzonspor was dealt a harsh blow in the Champions League play-off round this season, losing 2-1 away to Copenhagen in the opening match and then suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Serbia's Crvena Zvezda.
As previously pledged, the ticket proceeds of the Trabzonspor-Basel first leg matchup were graciously donated to AFAD to aid in the assistance of those affected by the earthquake.
In a remarkable show of solidarity, the Black Sea side announced that all proceeds from the sale of grandstands and souvenirs for the Basel match played at home for the first leg match of the UEFA European Conference League playoff tour will be donated to AFAD, to be used for earthquake relief in the region.
The statement read, "The ticket revenue of TL 6,196,547 ($328,380) VAT in total was transferred to AFAD through Ziraat Bank, demonstrating the collective effort to heal the wounds of our earthquake victims, no matter how small. On this occasion, we are in awe of the people who showed solidarity by buying tickets, regardless of color, thus proving that we are #Alive. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the compassionate fans of our teams for their remarkable sensitivity."
In a show of exemplary solidarity, the Turkish Sports Writers Association (TSYD) Trabzon Branch collected TL 41,700 donations from press members following the Trabzonspor-Basel match.
In a statement released by the Trabzon branch of the Turkish Youth and Sports Directorate, it was highlighted that, as an entrance fee for the match between Trabzonspor and Switzerland's Basel team on Thursday, Feb. 16, members of the press had the opportunity to collect donations for those affected by the earthquake.
The statement read, "A total of TL 41,700 in donations were collected. As the board of directors, this donation goes to TSYD Iskenderun member Akın Bodur, who lost his mother in the earthquake and was saved from the wreckage by cutting his arm. We decided to give it to the press. We thank all the members of the press for their support."
