Beşiktaş suffered a stumble in yesterday’s match in Gaziantep against one of the bottom teams in the Turkish league, and could only manage a draw that makes them lose two vital points and moves them away from the top of the standings, which continues to lead for the 4th consecutive matchday the reigning champions of the Super Lig, Galatasaray.
Yesterday’s match at Gaziantep Stadium in the 8th round of the Turkish Super League was, despite the Istanbul side’s theoretical superiority, fairly evenly matched. Both teams had chances, but it was the Black Eagles who would eventually convert one of them into a goal after 31 minutes through Immobile, when he was brought down in the box after a challenge by Gaziantep FK goalkeeper Sokratis Dioudis.
Although the referee initially allowed the play to continue, after several minutes of consultation the VAR determined that the Greek goalkeeper had committed a penalty on Immobile: the fault was converted by the former Sevilla and Lazio player himself, who easily deceived Dioudis to make the score 0-1. Beşiktaş gained strength after the goal and just a minute later Muçi came close to increasing the difference to 0-2, but his shot went just over the crossbar.
But the Gaziantep was not to be denied either and kept up the pressure on their opponents’ goal; after a golden chance by Okereke on 33 minutes miraculously failed to find the net, in the 40th minute Romanian international Deian Sorescu scored the equaliser, but shortly afterwards the VAR again spoiled the home side’s party and ruled that it had been offside by – literally – half a head… Unbelievable.
Bronckhorst: ‘It was a very difficult game’
Throughout the second half both teams kept the pressure on the pitch with clear-cut chances, but neither side managed to convert them into goals. Finally, it was only in stoppage time (6 minutes in total) that another Romanian, Alexandru Maxim, took advantage of a loose ball in the six-yard box to equalise, sparking euphoria in the home team’s dugout.
After the match, Beşiktaş coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted to the media that the Gaziantep game had been ‘a very difficult match’ and that his team had not been at 100% mentally or physically: ‘We have a two-week break ahead of us. We will improve. We need to improve, and we want to be better. We want to solve all these problems,’ he said. The result means Beşiktaş remains unbeaten this season but moves five points behind Galatasaray, who beat Alanyaspor in Istanbul.
Results of the 8th round of the Super League
ÇAYKUR RİZESPOR A.Ş. 2 – 1 ANTALYASPOR A.Ş.
KASIMPAŞA A.Ş. 0 – 0 SİPAY BODRUM FK
GÖZTEPE A.Ş. 3 – 2 NET GLOBAL SİVASSPOR
ATAKAŞ HATAYSPOR 1 – 1 TRABZONSPOR A.Ş.
RAMS BAŞAKŞEHİR FUTBOL KULÜBÜ 1 – 1 BELLONA KAYSERİSPOR
TÜMOSAN KONYASPOR 2 – 1 İKAS EYÜPSPOR
ADANA DEMİRSPOR A.Ş. 1 – 3 SAMSUNSPOR A.Ş.
GALATASARAY A.Ş. 1 – 0 CORENDON ALANYASPOR
GAZİANTEP FUTBOL KULÜBÜ A.Ş. 1 – 1 BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş.
Turkish league: standings
| | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1.GALATASARAY A.Ş. | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 22 |
| 2.SAMSUNSPOR A.Ş. | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 18 |
| 3.BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş. | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 17 |
| 4.FENERBAHÇE A.Ş. | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| 5.RAMS BAŞAKŞEHİR FUTBOL KULÜBÜ | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| 6.GÖZTEPE A.Ş. | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 12 |
| 7.İKAS EYÜPSPOR | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 12 |
| 8.TÜMOSAN KONYASPOR | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 11 |
| 9.SİPAY BODRUM FK | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 10 |
| 10.TRABZONSPOR A.Ş. | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| 11.CORENDON ALANYASPOR | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 9 |
| 12.KASIMPAŞA A.Ş. | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 8 |
| 13.NET GLOBAL SİVASSPOR | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 8 |
| 14.ANTALYASPOR A.Ş. | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 8 |
| 15.ÇAYKUR RİZESPOR A.Ş. | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 7 |
| 16.GAZİANTEP FUTBOL KULÜBÜ A.Ş. | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 5 |
| 17.BELLONA KAYSERİSPOR | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 4 |
| 18.ATAKAŞ HATAYSPOR | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
| 19.ADANA DEMİRSPOR A.Ş. | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 20 | -13 | 1 |
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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