Beşiktaş join Süper Lig title race with critical win
ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency
Turkish football club Beşiktaş earned a critical away win against Kasımpaşa 3-2 on Dec. 8 to cling to the Süper Lig's fierce title race.
Kasımpaşa were down to 10 men in the 15th minute as the home team's Egyptian defender Karim Hafez was sent off after a foul.
But they managed to score the opener nine minutes after Hafez's red card as Turkish forward Mustafa Pektemek -- formerly of Beşiktaş -- gave the 1-0 lead to Kasımpaşa in the 24th minute.
Beşiktaş netted the equalizer near the end of the first half as Turkish left-back Caner Erkin scored it.
Guinean forward Bengali-Fode Koita made it 2-1 for Kasımpaşa in the second half, but Beşiktaş pulled even again with Turkish forward Umut Nayır serving as scorer. His goal made Beşiktaş hopeful for a win.
Ten-man Kasımpaşa couldn't withstand Beşiktaş's pressure as Nayır scored the winning goal for his team in the 90 5th minute.
The 3-2 win took the Black Eagles to the number two spot in the Süper Lig standings. Beşiktaş had 27 points in the league led by Sivasspor, which has earned 30 points in 14 weeks.
Beşiktaş got their sixth consecutive league win on Dec. 8 after beating Galatasaray (1-0), Antalyaspor (2-1), Yukatel Denizlispor (1-0), İttifak Holding Konyaspor (1-0), Istikbal Mobilya Kayserispor (4-1), and Kasımpaşa (3-2).
At least 5 teams chasing title
This season the Süper Lig has seen a relentless race for the title as underdogs Sivasspor are still on top with 30 points.
They are followed by Beşiktaş with 27 points. Trabzonspor, one of the “Big Four,” are in the number three spot as the Black Sea club bagged 26 points in 14 matches.
Title contenders from Istanbul Medipol Başaksehir have 26 points as well. Fenerbahçe, who won their last league title in 2014, come in fifth with 25 points.
Galatasaray, the latest Süper Lig champs, have 23 points to be in sixth place in the league table.
Other results:
Konyaspor - Gaziantep FK: 0-0
Antalyaspor - Trabzonspor: 1-3
Yukatel Denizlispor - Medipol Basaksehir: 1-1
Kasımpaşa - Beşiktaş: 2-3