Beşiktaş looking to maintain high altitude

ISTANBUL

Beşiktaş players celebrate after a goal by Portuguese marksman Hugo Almeida (C) who has scored a brace against Gaziantepspor.

Beşiktaş visits Bursaspor on Sept. 15 hoping to maintain its perfect record in the Spor Toto Super League. 

The Black Eagles top the standings after three match days and enjoyed looking down on their rivals during the off week due to the international fixtures. 

Three victories in as many games boosted the team’s hopes of a glorious season under the partnership of coach Slaven Bilic and football director Önder Özen. Trophies would come extra valuable this season, since Beşiktaş will be spending this year on exile. The Istanbul giants will play its home games at Kasımpaşa’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium and the Atatürk Olympic Stadium during the rebuilding of the club’s iconic İnönü Stadium. 

Furthermore, the club is trying to steer its dipping economy with a clever budget and its exclusion from the European competitions due to the 2011 match-fixing scandal is not helping the finances. However, with the only focus on domestic competition, the club is hoping to turn the situation into an advantage. 

After consecutive victories over Trabzonspor, Gaziantepspor and Kayseri Erciyesspor, Beşiktaş will visit Bursaspor on Sept. 15. The Crocs, hoping to regain their 2010 glitter when they claimed their only league title, have claimed four points with coach Christoph Daum at the helm. The German, who led Beşiktaş to a league title in 1994, was brought after Bursaspor parted ways with Hikmet Karaman on the back of a disappointing Europa League preliminary knockout at the hands of Serbia’s Vojvodina. 

The game starts at 8:30 p.m. 

In another evening kick-off on Sept. 15, Sanica Boru Elazığspor hosts Torku Konyaspor, who suffered back-to-back defeats after getting a swaggering 3-2 comeback win over Fenerbahçe on the first match of the season. 

Solid Karabük 

Earlier that day, Sivasspor will take on Eskişehirspor and Gençlerbirliği will play against Kayserispor. 
On Sept. 14, Trabzonspor hosts Kardemir Karabükspor in another intriguing battle. Trabzonspor made a poor start to the season and got only one win in its first three matches despite a successful Europa League preliminary campaign. On the other side, Karabükspor had a bright start to the season and is only the second unbeaten side of the league with two wins and one draw. 

Elsewhere, Gaziantepspor takes on Çaykur Rizespor. Both games start on 8:30 p.m. 

Earlier, Kayseri Erciyesspor will take on Akhisar, who is fourth with six points from two wins. 

The fourth match day of the Super League campaign started with the Galatasaray vs. Medical Park Antalyaspor game at the Türk Telekom Arena in Istanbul on Sept. 13. 

The round will be wrapped up with an all-Istanbul clash between Kasımpaşa and Fenerbahçe game on Sept. 16.