Beşiktaş forced to accept draw away to Tottenham in London

LONDON - Anadolu Agency

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stanbul’s Beşiktaş snatched a 1-1 draw against English side Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League on Oct. 2 night at White Heart Lane, but the Black Eagles rued a lack of killer instinct that could have netted them all three points.
      
Beşiktaş midfielder Olcay Şahan missed a great chance in the second minute of the game, taking a shot from close range but seeing the ball shave the post.
      
Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba’s shot rattled the crossbar in the 12th minute, after Spurs’ French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris deflected the shot.
      
Tottenham forged ahead when 21-year-old English forward Harry Kane made a low drive outside the area, giving the home side the lead against the run of play.
      
In the 33rd minute, Olcay missed another great opportunity in the box when deflected the ball with his foot out for a corner.
      
A close range missile from Kane was denied by Beşiktaş goalkeeper Tolga Zengin in the 38th minute.     

In the 56th minute, Olcay attempted to score an equalizer, but Lloris again sent the ball out for a corner.
      
Eight minutes later another chance from Olcay went wide.    
 
But just when Beşiktaş appeared to have squandered chance after chance to take something from the game, referee Manuel Grafe pointed to the spot after Spurs’ Romanian center-back Vlad Chiriches handballed in the area. Ba stepped up to convert the penalty in minute 89, giving the Black Eagles a share of the points.

Meanwhile, former Juventus player and Dutch hard-man Edgar Davids, who also played for Spurs once upon a time, watched the game from the stands.    

Elsewhere in Beşiktaş’s Group C, Greek club Asteras Tripolis defeated Partizan Belgrade 2-0 in Greece. Asteris leads the group with four points from two games, followed by Beşiktaş and Spurs, both on two points. Partizan has a solitary point from two games.