Besiktas hold firm to deny Basaksehir

The Black Eagles came back from a goal down to edge league leaders Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1.

Istanbul Basaksehir suffered a setback on Saturday evening after they lost 2-1 in their away Super Lig fixture against Besiktas.

The Black Eagles started the game on the back foot as the visitors attacked relentlessly in the first 45 minutes.

Basaksehir’s persistence gave them a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute when Robinho connected with a cross from his teammate, Edin Visca.

Senol Gunes’ men equalized in the 42nd minute through veteran midfielder Atiba Hutchinson who scored a scrappy goal after it rebounded from the post.

Besiktas were the weaker team in the first half but Senol Gunes’ words at half-time did the trick as the team as the players in white-and-black started the second half with a bang.

Veteran striker Burak Yilmaz made it 2-1 in the 52nd minute when he got on the receiving end of a cross from his teammate Jeremain Lens.

Despite having less possession of the ball (46%), Besiktas managed to hold on to their narrow lead and emerge victorious.

The defeat sees Istanbul Basaksehir maintain their first position in the league with 61 points while Besiktas remain third with 53 points.

Istanbul Basaksehir coach Abdullah Avci remained positive despite their loss, saying he believes they will be crowned Turkish Super Lig champions come the end of the season.

“I believe that we will be champions. We are still ahead of our opponents. We are entering the final six weeks. OF course, there will be losses. This applies to us and our opponents. I see our chances of winning the championship as high,” Avci told reporters in the post-game press conference at Vodafone Park.