Beşiktaş wins at Feyenoord in Champions League bid

ROTTERDAM

Beşiktaş players celebrate their first goal against Feyenoord. AA Photo

Goals from Mustafa Pektemek and Kerim Koyunlu edged Beşiktaş past last season’s Dutch league runner-up Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, in the first leg game in Rotterdam on July 30.

Feyenoord scored a 95th-minute penalty but still succumbed 2-1 at home to Beşiktaş, putting the Turkish outfit in charge of the tie.

Away goals from Mustafa Pektemek on the 13th minute and Kerim Koyunlu on the 71st proved decisive in Beşiktaş’s bid to reach the playoffs, though Feyenoord youngster Mitchell Te Vrede recovered from the spot after Ramon Motta’s foul to ensure the host side did not go home empty handed.

Beşiktaş took control of the match early on, breaking the deadlock when Turkish international Pektemek met a deep Oğuzhan Özyakup corner with an emphatic header. Beşiktaş could have doubled their advantage just six minutes later when Özyakup played another fantastic ball into the box, only to see the chance go begging.

Slaven Bilic’s men eventually found a second after a mistake by Joris Mathijsen gifted the 20-year-old Koyunlu the chance to make it two. Te Vrede restored some Dutch pride by tucking in his spot-kick deep into added time after second-half substitute Motta felled Elvis Manu in the box.

Speaking after the game, Beşiktaş coach Bilic warned his players that it is not over yet.

“We had a very good result, but we should not be dreaming. We should perform in Istanbul at least as well as we did tonight to advance,” Bilic told a post-game press conference. The experienced coach congratulated both teams, especially his side.

“We played well in both defense and offense, my players were brave and they did a very good job,” Bilic said. “But as [Feyenoord coach] Fred Rutten said yesterday in his press conference, the fate of this tie is to be decided in Istanbul and it will be.”

Rutten, meanwhile, told reporters after the game losing at home put his side’s chances of advancing at risk, but his players will do their best in the return game next week.

Beşiktaş, which finished third in the 2013-2014 Turkish Super League season behind champion Fenerbahçe and second-placed Galatasaray, will relish the chance to edge closer to the group stage in front of its home crowd when it hosts the second-leg in Istanbul next week.