Incredible three-minute hat-trick from Orban gifts Gent passage past Basaksehir
Having never previously lost on Turkish soil, Gent travelled to Istanbul hoping to sting a surprise and despatch Basaksehir in convincing fashion. In truth, the game was done and dusted by the break, when a three-minute hat-trick from Orban crushed any hopes of the hosts’ progression.
The Nigerian-born striker slotted home his first of the evening from close range just after the half-hour mark, before firing a long-range right-footed strike beyond goalkeeper Volkan Babacan just seconds later.
Orban’s remarkable three-goal blitz was complete one minute later, when the forward put away an originally rebounded strike to give Gent an unassailable advantage on the brink of the break.
Gent, not content with relying on Orban’s heroics, added a fourth just before the half-time whistle, with strike partner Hugo Cuypers heading home from Sven Kums’ cross, while burying any last remaining hopes Basaksehir may have had of a comeback in the process.
Unsurprisingly, the second-half failed to follow such a free-scoring pattern, with the guests happy to sit on their four-goal advantage and see the game out from there.
While they may have seen their hopes of a first-ever European triumph crushed during the first half, Basaksehir continued to play for pride throughout the second period, and netted a consolation late on.
Capitalising on a lapse in the Gent defence, Adnan Januzaj - formerly of Manchester United - swept home an instinctive finish inside the penalty area, to add a touch of gloss to an otherwise bruising scoreline.
Given their lowly league position in the Turkish Süper Lig, it’s unlikely Basaksehir will wriggle their way back into Europe ahead of next season.
As for Gent, this is the first time the Belgian outfit have made it into the quarter-finals since reaching the last-eight of the UEFA Cup in 1991/91.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Gift Emmanuel Orban (Gent)